Quietly into the Night
by majiklmoon
Summary: What happens to the Pod Squad when the leave Roswell? Does danger drive them apart, or bring them closer together? Post Season 3, Conventional Couples.
1. Default Chapter

**Quietly into the Night**  
Rating: PG-13 for now

Disclaimer: Roswell isn't mine; the characters belong to Jason Katims, et al. The Prologue is taken directly from the episode Graduation, written by Ron Moore and Jason Katims.

**A.N.** This is dedicated to the ORBs. You guys are the best!

Prologue:

_"I have a better idea." "Why don't we get out of dodge before they land on us?" "We leave!" says Michael__  
__"And where do we go?" asks Kyle. __  
__"Anywhere but here." "I mean let's face it, they know who we are, it's over" "We leave Roswell, we leave fast, and we leave as quietly as we can." "And we all go separately." "Separately?" asks Maria__  
__"Right now we are safer as individuals than we are as a group." "I mean what are we all going to do if we go together, get a van?" "We go quietly into the night, each of us on our own." "If they get some of us, maybe they don't get all of us."_

And so we left, not one by one, like Michael suggested, and certainly not quietly, but we did leave. It was hard, harder than anything we had ever done before. It was so hard to leave our homes, our families, everything we had ever known, and to venture out into the unknown. We all traveled together at first, me and Max, Michael, Maria, Kyle and Isabelle. But shortly after our wedding, the FBI closed in on us again. We decided the best thing we could do was split up. None of us wanted to do that, but we knew we had to. The next big decision was where to go.

For Isabelle, the decision was easy. She totally changed her appearance. She made herself look like a totally different person. The change was so dramatic. She went from short dark hair to a long flowing mane of red hair, her eyes were now green. It was incredible what a difference it made. She changed Kyle's hair to golden blond. He looked like a California surfer. Together they headed to Boston. Isabelle knew she couldn't be with Jesse, but she could be by him.

Maria's transformation was a little harder, she had gone through so many hair colors and styles in the past year, but she ended up with black hair, which she wore in a short cap of curls. Poor Michael, he had finally found a hairstyle that suited him, and he had to get rid of it. He ended up sporting black hair like Maria that he wore in a conservative style. He actually made me think of an accountant the first time I saw him like that.

They headed for California shortly after Kyle and Isabelle left. And then, there was Max and I. Max, my husband, I still can't believe that. Where would we go, how would we survive?

Part 1

Liz walked down the corridor of the small hospital where she worked as a lab assistant. It wasn't a high paying job, but it pays their bills, and more importantly, it provided her with access to very ill children. Liz turned a corner and entered the main admitting area of the hospital. Over by the door, Les, the hospital's security guard was talking to a man in a dark blue suit. There wasn't anything suspicious about it, but after being on the run for so long, Liz was always cautious. She slowed her steps as she passed the two, trying to catch some of their conversation.

"No, I can't say I've seen the woman in this picture," said Les. "No sir, I haven't seen anybody that looks like that at all." Good afternoon Miss Rebecca, how are you today?" asked Les as Liz passed by.

"I'm just fine Les, just fine," said Liz as she lowered her head and tried to pass by the two men.

"Miss Rebecca, have you ever seen the young lady in this here picture? This fine gentleman is searching for his daughter. Seems she ran away with her boyfriend several months ago."

The man in the blue suit handed Liz a photo of herself taken outside the Crashdown two years ago. She looked at the photo of a girl with long dark hair, shook her mop of blond curls and said "I can honestly say, I have never seen that girl around here before." "Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I need to be on my way." 

Liz walked away calmly, but inside, she was shaking. She headed towards the cafeteria and out a side door into the warm Montana sunshine. Reaching into her pocket, she removed her cell phone and punched in Max's number.

"It's me, they found us again. We have to run. Again."


	2. chapter 2

**Chapter Two **

Liz abruptly terminated her phone conversation with Max and spun around. Standing behind her was the man from the lobby. The man with her picture.

"I'm sorry to bother you again Miss, but when I was talking with Les, I couldn't help but think that maybe you have seen this girl in the picture before," he said.

"Your daughter, right?" said Liz, stalling for time. She takes the picture from him and pretends to study it while she studies him instead.

He was just under 6 feet tall, with thinning blond hair and blue eyes. He has no noticeable scars or marks, There was nothing to set him apart at all, except for the fact that he has a picture of her and was claiming to be her father.

"She doesn't look like you at all," said Liz conversationally. "Does she take after your wife?"

"Yes, she is the spitting image of her mother," said the man. "Are you sure you haven't seen her?"

"I'm positive I haven't seen her," said Liz. Suddenly as she was handing the photo back, images began to flash in her mind. _Rain falling, running down a street, Isabelle in tears._

"I've got to go," Liz said shoving the picture back at the man. "Good luck finding your daughter."

She turned and left the man and walked back into the hospital. She stopped at a nearby window, and looked out onto the courtyard where she had just stood. The man reached into his pocket and pulls out a cell phone

_Damn,_ she thought to herself. _Why can't these stupid alien powers include superman hearing?_

Liz continued down to the lab and gathered up her belongings. Experience had taught her she needed to travel light. No pictures decorated her work area, no nick knacks. Nothing would indicate that anyone even worked there where it not for the pile of folders on her desk. After she retrieved her belongings, she walked over to the department supervisor.

"Dr. Henderson, I'm not feeling very well at all. If it's all the same with you, I'm going to head out early. I'll come in early tomorrow to make up my time," she said. She hated lying to him; she wasn't coming back. Tomorrow she'd be at least 100 miles away, trying to start another new life.

"You don't look at all well," concurred Dr. Henderson. "Would you like to have one of the doctors on staff, check you out?"

"No, really, I'll be fine, it's just a headache. I think if I just go home and lay down; I'll be fine. Thank you Dr. Henderson, I'll see you in the morning."

After Liz left the lab, the doctor reached for his phone.

"The parcel in question is en route right now," was all he said.

Grabbing his jacket, he left the lab and went down the hall in the same direction as Liz.

Liz was climbing into her car when her cell phone rang.

"Hello," she said into the phone

_Liz, it's Max, don't come home. They have someone watching the house. Go straight to the bus station and get the hell out of town._

"Max, listen, the one I talked to earlier stopped me again. I got a flash off of him. It was of Isabelle. Max, I think she's in danger too."

_We all are Liz. When you get to the bus station, open locker 75. Take the backpack out. Inside the backpack is some money, use it to get your self out of here. You know where to go. I'll meet you there when it's safe. And Liz, I love you._

"I love you to Max," she replied, but it was too late, he was already gone.

Sighing, she started her car and headed towards the bus station, unaware of the late model sedan following her.


	3. chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Liz pulled the beat up old Dodge Shadow into the bus station parking lot, and parked the car so it is hidden from view. She took a moment to clear it of anything that could be used to trace the car back to her.

Climbing out, she looks carefully around to make sure nobody was watching. She placed her hand on the car, and changed the color from blue to a nondescript gray color. Another wave of her hand, and the license plates changed.

Grabbing her bag, she hurried into the station and went straight to the lockers. She quickly located locker number 75, she tried to open it, but there was no key. Liz made a quick visual sweep of the area to ensure that she wasn't being observed and swiftly passed her hand over the lock mechanism and popped it open. She reached in and pulled out a blue nylon backpack and slung it onto her shoulder.

"Ms. Parker, you need to come with me," said a voice from behind her. "Just do as you are asked, and don't make a scene. We've been trying to find you since you left Roswell. Now, if you come along quietly, and answer all our questions, I won't have to hurt you."

Liz thought fast, and slumped her shoulders in defeat. She turned around and came face to face with the man who had cornered her in the hospital

"Ok, I'll come with you, I'll do whatever you say," she said. "I am so sick of running, and I just want to go home and see my mom and dad. Can you help me to get back to Roswell?"

As she spoke, Liz hefted the backpack up onto her shoulder and gripped the shoulder strap tightly. She wanted this FBI agent to think that this bag contained something very important. He didn't look overly intelligent. Hopefully, she'd be able to trick him.

"Um, excuse me, but before I go anywhere with you, do you think you could tell me your name?" questioned Liz flirtatiously as she gave a little giggle. _God,_ she thought,_ I hope this works before I make myself sick acting this way._

"Well Ms. Parker, you can call me Feltcher, and as for going back to Roswell, maybe later. There are some people who want to talk to you first. Now, why don't you let me take that bag from you and we'll be on our way," said the agent, preening a little at Liz's flirting.

"No, really, it's not that heavy, I can carry it," said Liz as she wraps both her hands tighter around the shoulder strap of the backpack.

"Don't make a scene Ms. Parker and give me the bag," said Feltcher as he reached out and grabbed the handle of the backpack.

Acting fast, Liz grabbed his hand and sent a small jolt of energy into his body. Fetcher's eyes widened and slowly he collapsed to the ground.

Liz looked around and ascertained that nobody had seen what had just happened. She quickly went to the counter and purchased a ticket for the bus that is boarding in the parking lot. Before boarding the bus, Liz stoped in the ladies room. When she emerged, she had long blond hair and vivid blue eyes.

Without a backward glance, Liz boarded the bus and stared resolutely ahead as it drove out of town.

After 3 bus changes, and 3 appearance changes, Liz wasn't sure if she was headed north south east or west, but she was sure she was sure she wasn't being followed. She reached into the backpack and rummages through the contents. Max had thought of everything. There was cash, a map and several changes of clothing as well. She reached into the bag one more time to see if she missed anything and her hand came in contact with something hard. She pulled it out of the bag, and found that she was holding a gold necklace with a heart shaped locket on it. Opening the locket she found an orb symbol inscribed on one side, and on the other side were the letters MM.

_MM?_ she thought to herself. _Was Max having a chocolate attack when he got me this?_ She slipped the necklace over her head. Aside from her wedding ring, and the engagement ring Max had made for her, it is the only piece of jewelry she owned. As the miles flashed by, she dozed, intermittently, her fingers clutching the pendant as she slept.

The bus pulled into its next stop, and Liz grabbed her belongings and exited the bus. She was headed into the terminal to buy another ticket when she passed a vending machine. Inexplicably, her eyes were drawn to the package of MM candy. _MM, MM,_ she thought to herself. _Michael and Maria, he wants me to get to Michael and Maria_. Rushing to the ticket counter, she pulled out her wallet and asked for a one-way ticket to California.


	4. chapter 4

**Chapter Four **

Liz dozed intermittently as the bus continued on its journey west. Suddenly, she was jerked from sleep by a voice insistently calling her name. Cautiously, she looked around the darkened interior of the bus, but all those within her line of sight were also sleeping. Assuming that she only dreamed the voice, Liz settled back down and stared out the window into the darkness.

_Liz, God, Liz, Max, Michael, anybody, can you hear me?_ the voice shouted instantly in her head.

"Hello," she whispered softly, but there is no reply.

_Damn, why can't one of them hear me?"_ questioned the voice in her head._ Isabelle always could, why can't any of the others? Isabelle, where are you, are you out there? I came home last week and you were gone! Isabelle, Liz,_ the voice in her head began to sob brokenly. _I don't know what to do. I came home last week, and our apartment was torn apart, and Isabelle was missing. I grabbed our emergency stuff and headed out right away. I went to our agreed meeting place, but she isn't here. It's been 3 days, and I'm really starting to freak out._

"Kyle, oh God Kyle, I wish you could here me." "Where are you Kyle?" Liz said softly totally distraught at the anguish she could hear in her friends' voice.

_Liz, my God, Liz, can you hear me? I can't hear you, but I can sense you. You're there, aren't you?"_ continued the voice in her head. _I'm in Seattle, I'll wait for you at the Space Needle. Every day at noon, I'll stay for 2 hours, every day, until next Friday. God, Liz I hope you are hearing this. I need to find Isabelle. I promised Max and Jesse I'd take care of her. _

Liz sat as the tears streamed silently down her face. Their lives were falling apart. Isabelle was missing, she didn't know where Max was, Kyle was a basket case over Isabelle, and she had to find Michael and Maria in California. _After_ an unplanned side trip to Seattle to find Kyle.

"Oh God!" she cried, "I don't think I can do this anymore."  
But even as she gave into a burst of self-pity, Liz knew there was nothing she could do but go on.

At the next bus terminal, Liz disembarked, headed for the terminal and walked straight into the ladies room. After a quick wardrobe change she was dressed in an outfit that would have done Lonnie or Rath justice. She took a quick look under the doors of the stalls, and made certain she was alone. She changed her appearance once again, this time she sported a short spiked hairstyle in bleach blond, and brown eyes. She exited the bathroom just before her bus was ready to leave and climbed aboard. She wanted to sleep during the journey, but she was too afraid she'd miss another message from Kyle.

Two days later, an exhausted Liz arrived in Seattle. She had existed on coffee and catnaps since this mess began. She grabbed her stuff and got off the bus and looked around wearily as she tried to acclimate herself.

Sighing, she headed to the terminal, grabbing a brochure for the space needle on her way. Entering a stall, she changed into a much more conservative looking outfit of jeans and a polo shirt that she had liberated from Max's wardrobe. A bang alerted her to the fact that someone else had entered the rest room.

_Oh well,_ she thought to herself. _I've done my presto chango routine so many times, I don't really need a mirror_. In a matter of moments, she has sandy brown hair cut into a pageboy style, and hazel eyes.

She exited the bathroom, stopped at a vending machine for a quick snack then headed out to find Kyle. A quick look at her watch showed her that it was 10:30. Liz gave a small sigh of relief knowing that she had plenty of time to get to the space needle.

Liz arrived at the space needle and took a quick walk around the grounds, checking out the tourists, and trying to figure out how she was going to recognize Kyle.

_Great Kyle, couldn't you have given me a description of yourself,_ she thought to herself.

_Liz oh shit, Liz, is that you?_ a voice echoed in her head. _I'm here, and I can hear you! I'm at a bench across from the main entrance of the needle. I have on a jean jacket, and a Boston Red Sox baseball cap._

Liz abruptly turned around and headed back towards the entrance, and there seated on the bench was Kyle Valenti, with long blond hair, and an earring. Smothering a laugh, Liz sat on the bench next to him. Neither of them said a thing, but Kyle reached down and took her hand in his and held it tight.


	5. chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Isabelle ran down the rain sodden streets. Tears streaked down her face, mixing with the rain that was falling from the sky. Lights from an approaching car cut through the darkness and Isabelle ducked into a doorway to trying to stay out of sight. She leaned over, gasping, trying to catch her breath.

"Oh God I can't believe it," she gasped. "He is one of them. I can't believe he is one of them. Kyle, I hope you got away. Please God, let Kyle be safe."

Kyle took Liz back to the mom and pop motel he was staying at about 25 miles from the space needle.

"When did you start riding a Harley?" questioned Liz with a giggle. "Michael, I can see, but you always struck me as a pick up kind of guy"

"Hey, this bike is all me," said Kyle, pointing to the painted Buddha on the gas tank of the bike.

The two enter Kyle's room, and Liz collapsed in a heap on one of the beds.

"Oh, that feels so good, I've been riding in busses since forever!" she said, wearily.

"Why don't you rest up for a while, and I'll run out and get us something to eat," said a reluctant Kyle.

"Kyle, no," said Liz quickly. "Don't leave me here alone. I, I just don't think we should allow ourselves to get separated."

"Yeah, you are probably right," agreed Kyle "Well, if you can deal with stale nachos and warm soda, we can feast like kings."

"Look Kyle, all I really want to do is get some rest. I really haven't slept since I heard you in my head. How did you do that anyhow?"

"My latent alien powers have come to rise," quipped Kyle. "I'm not very good with it yet, and I'm not sure how it works. Isabelle is the only one I ever did it with. She couldn't initiate contact with me, I would have to try and contact here, but then she could communicate with me. I've tried contacting you, Max, Maria, or Michael, but I never had any luck, until the other night."

"Kyle, what happened in Boston?"

"God Liz," said Kyle as he runs his hands through his hair. "I don't know. When we all split up, I took Isabelle to Boston, and just decided to stick around. We ended up getting a place together. We must have moved in and around that city 10 different times, making sure nobody could find us, but she would never leave the area for long, she would never leave **him** ," Kyle spit the last word out angrily. "She always wanted to be close to Jesse."

Kyle gets up off of the other bed where he had been sitting and begins to pace around the motel room.

"She doesn't know, but I bumped into him once at a bar."

At this, Liz gasps, fear evident on her face.

"Don't worry, he didn't recognize me," laughed Kyle bitterly. "Even if I had looked like myself, he probably wouldn't have anyhow. He was too busy ogling the blonde bimbet he brought with him."

"Oh no, Kyle, no!" cried Liz. "He didn't? He promised to wait for her. She tried to give him back his rings, but he wouldn't take them. He said he was going to wait, no matter how long."

Tears fell from Liz's eyes uncontrollably. If asked, she wouldn't have been able to explain her reaction, but she felt as if something vital had been lost.

Kyle sat beside her on the bed, and held her while she cried. Finally, she was able to bring her breathing back under control. She leaned against her friend, her emotions spent. 

Liz looked around the dingy motel room, stained carpet on the floors, and threadbare curtains trying to shade the window.

_Is this what my life had become _she thought to herself. _One dingy room after another? And for what, for love? Well, it looks like love isn't everything it's cracked up to be._

"Liz, I know your tired, and I know you need to rest, but can you tell me what happened to you?" asked Kyle. "Where is Max, and why aren't you two together?"

In a sleep-dulled voice, she filled Kyle in on what happened, and why she was traveling alone. As she spook, her eyes began to close, and Kyle laid her down on the bed and pulled the covers up over her shoulders. He got up and prepared to move across the room to the other bed, when Liz's hand reached out and stopped him.

"Kyle, be my friend, please and hold me," Liz said, sleepily

"Always Liz, always," he said. He lay down on the bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her, and the two drifted off to sleep.


	6. chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Liz woke up after several hours of sleep feeling better than she had in a couple of weeks. She wasn't alone anymore. Kyle wasn't her beloved husband Max, but he was a wonderful friend. Moving slowly so that she wouldn't wake the sleeping form beside her, Liz slipped off the bed, grabbed her bag and headed to the bathroom. Before she did anything else, she restored her appearance, but the face staring back at her in the mirror no longer seemed familiar. So many changes in her life have caused her to forget who she really is.

She turned the shower taps on full blast, and stood under the stinging spray, allowing the water to mask the tears streamed down her face. She was so sick of running, of being in danger. It had to stop. The pressure was tearing all of them apart. _I love Max so much, and I meant it when I said I would follow him anywhere, but this pressure is destroying us,_ she thought to herself. Things had been tense between her and Max. She understood his need to use his powers to help people. That was why she always tried to find a job in a hospital or doctors office. She could keep track of the terminal patients, and when he could, Max would heal them. It was noble, it was selfless, and it was part of what was killing her, bit by bit.

Liz couldn't forget her dreams of becoming a scientist. She wanted to help people too, but now, all she could do was help Max. Even her alien powers didn't provide her with an option to help people very much. Sure once in a while, she received a glimpse into somebody's future, but usually there wasn't much she could do to change their path. God knows she had tried but people usually looked at her like she was insane.

She stepped out of the shower and began to towel off.

"I want my life back," she said to the person staring back at her in the mirror. "I want to be you again."

She wrapped the towel around her tightly and stepped out into the motel room.

"Kyle, Kyle, wake up!" she shouted.

Kyle sat up groggily on the bed and rubbed his hands wearily across his face.

"God Liz, what is it, is something wrong?" he said as he tried to focus.  
"Oh my God, are you nuts, what are you doing, looking like that?" he yelled when his eyes finally focused on Liz, looking like Liz again.

"I'm sick of running Kyle, and I'm sick of all of us being in danger," Liz stated defiantly. "I'm not going to do it any more. It's time we took our lives back. All of us!"

"I'm assuming you have a plan for this?" asked Kyle.

"No, not yet, but I will, Kyle, I will," said Liz. She looked at Kyle, her face a mask of determination, and Kyle knew nothing he said would ever change her mind. 

Max Evans drove carefully through the winding streets of the upscale Boston Back Bay neighborhood where his sister's husband lived. Tracking Jesse down wasn't hard; he could only hope that Jesse had some inkling of where Kyle and Isabelle were staying. It was time for them to take a stand. They couldn't keep running like this. It was destroying all of them. It hurt Max so much to see Liz hurting. She gave up her dreams and her life to stay with him. It was up to him to get those things back for her.

Max pulled into a parking space and climbed out of the car. Taking a second to get his bearings, he started down the street towards Jesse's apartment. He could feel energy crackling around him. It was the same feeling he would get when Isabelle or Michael would use their powers.

In the distance, he saw a couple approaching. Max was certain the man was Jesse, but the woman with him wasn't the right height to be Isabelle. Concerned, Max ducked behind a van and watched as the couple approached. Jesse stopped and pulled the woman to him and began to kiss her passionately. Another woman approached them from across the street. She had long black hair, and was dressed very stylishly. As she neared them, she raised her hand. As soon as he realized what was happening, Max stepped out from behind the van alarmed and grabbed her.

"Isabelle," he whispered, "Don't, not here not now, and not over another woman. He isn't worth it."

"Max, oh my God, Max, is it you?" she cried softly. Suddenly, she stiffened and pulled away. "Your wrong about one thing Max," she said, her voice hard as steel. "He isn't worth it, you're right about that, but this isn't over another woman. Jesse is an agent for the FBI!"


	7. chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"What?" Max asked incredulously. "There is **NO WAY** Jesse is an FBI agent," he said as he led Isabelle towards his car. "He killed an agent to protect us."

"Max, he is. I should have listened to you and to Michael when you told me to stay away from him," Isabel said, her voice tinged with both anger and pain.

The two climbed inside the nondescript late model sedan Max was driving and Max switched on the ignition. Before he pulled away from the curb, he did a quick reconnoiter of the area, to ensure that they hadn't been followed. Carefully, he eased out into traffic, the silence in the car thickened as neither of the car's occupants said a word. After about 30 minutes, Max pulled the car into a deserted lot.

"Tell me everything," he said.

"God Max, ever the King, aren't you? I haven't seen you in over a year, and all you can say is 'Tell me everything," snapped Isabelle.

"Look Isabelle, we don't have time for social niceties right now." "Now tell me what happened," said Max, struggling to contain the anger that was building up inside him.

"Fine, you win Max, we'll do it your way, we always do, anyhow," snapped Isabel. "After we all split up, Kyle and I came out here. For a long time, we blended in with the college crowd. With so many different colleges in this town, it was easy. We moved around to different towns in the area, but we always kept coming back. I couldn't stay away from Jesse, and Kyle wouldn't leave me. He took your _request_," she put extra emphasis on the word request to let Max know how angry she still was over what he did, "to watch over me very seriously. We had different jobs, but we never stayed at anything too long. I was working as a temp, when I got assigned to Jesse's law firm. It was a total coincidence, but I took it as a sign that I should let Jesse know I was here. Kyle made me promise not to act rashly, and to make certain everything was safe before I spoke with Jesse."

"Do you really think it was a coincidence that you got hired to work at Jesse's firm Iz?" Max asked, gently.  
"I did then, but looking back, I know it wasn't. I was being set up. I'd been there for several nights, when the supervisor in the department I was working in asked me if I could stay late. I didn't think anything of it, in fact, I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to slip into Jesse's office," Isabelle confessed.

Max sat quietly refusing to judge Isabelle's motives. He knew she loved Jesse. He didn't know if he would be able to exist if he had to give up Liz. Pulling himself back to the conversation at hand, Max forced himself to focus on Isabelle's soft voice.

"So I waited for an hour and then went up to his office. His door was partially opened, and I could here voices, so I stopped to listen." She paused to wipe the tears out of her eyes.

"Max, he was in there, having sex with that, that **SLUT**. It was all I could do not to burst in there and kill them both, but I didn't. I snuck into the office next to his, and I waited until they, until they finished," Isabelle struggled to maintain her composure at this part of the story.

"After they left, I snuck into Jesse's office and went through his files. He's pretty stupid for an FBI agent Max. He had a safe in his office with a combination lock. He told me one time, he always codes the lock to the same combination, so he won't forget it. He used his birthday. I didn't even have to use my powers to break into is safe."

"What did you find Isabelle?" Max asked, gently

"He had dossiers on all of us, on our power and everything. The only thing he didn't have was a record of the lawyer Dad brought Zan to."

At this, Max let out a big rush of breath. Above all things, he wanted Zan to be safe.

"Anyhow, I copied everything I could, and put it back. It took me hours, Max. I went back to our apartment, but Kyle wasn't there. I forgot that he was working 3rd shift. I started packing up everything I thought we'd need to get out, when I heard footsteps pounding up the stairs. I panicked, and ran out the back door. I just started running. It was raining, and I was so scared, I didn't know what to do," cried Isabelle.

"Isabelle, relax you did the right thing," said Max, trying to comfort her. "Liz saw it happen, she was approached by an agent, and she got a flash off of him and saw what happened to you. That's why I'm here, I had to make sure you were ok," Max said as he pulled his sister to him in a comforting hug.

"Liz, where is she?" asked Isabelle.

"I don't know," Max said bleakly. "I told her to run. I'm hoping she goes to Michael and Maria, and that's where we're going too."

"Max, we can't leave yet," says Isabelle. "Kyle is missing too. I went back to our apartment, and waited, but he never showed up. I'm afraid they have him."

"Don't worry, we'll think of something, I promise, but we can't stay here," said Max. "Where is your stuff, and the files you pulled from Jesse."

"They're gone Max. I had packed them in one of the panic bags Kyle and I kept, but when I went back to the apartment, both bags were gone."

Max was upset that the files are gone, but he tried to remain positive for Isabelle's sake.

"Kyle probably came home, saw that the place was torn apart, grabbed both bags and ran Isabelle," said Max comfortingly. "Do you two have an emergency place to meet if you get separated?"

"Uh, yeah, the space needle in Seattle," answered Isabelle.

"Great, Liz and I picked Cinderella's Carousel at Disneyland," laughed Max. "It looks like we're going on a road trip."


	8. chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kyle shouted after Liz outlined her plan to him. "Go back to Roswell? Liz are you nuts, the last time we were in Roswell, bad guys with guns wanted to kill us, or have you forgotten about that?"

"No Kyle, I haven't forgotten about that. I'm the lucky one who got to see those charming images in her visions. Remember that little tidbit?" snapped Liz in an irritated voice.

"Look Liz, I'm not saying your plan sucks, but basically, it sucks," shouted Kyle.

"Kyle, I am so sick of running and hiding, I think its time for us to be proactive instead of reactive."

"Hey, I'm not totally disagreeing with you here Liz, but look at it this way, there are two of us, against the FBI. Those are not the best odds going. Why can't we hook up with the others first, and then do the proactive thing?"

"Because the others will never go for it, that's why," said Liz. "Besides, we don't know where to find them. Max and I had a meeting place planned if we got separated, but I found a message in a locket he left for me, and I think he wants me to try and find Michael and Maria and go there."

"Isabelle and I agreed to meet here if we split up, so I think we should just wait at the space needle like she and I agreed, and then go from there."

"God Kyle, how long do you want to wait, you don't even know where Isabelle is, or even if she is al…." Liz's voice trailed off uncertainly.

"Jesus Liz, you don't think I know that, but I have to wait, I **owe** it to her," he said, his voice breaking on the words.

"I'm sorry Kyle, that was a rotten thing for me to say. Isabelle is fine, you'd know it if she wasn't, just like I'd know if Max were…"she paused, wanting to acknowledge Kyle's feelings for Isabelle.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Kyle said, grabbing two backpacks off the floor.

"Um, Kyle?" Liz said in a questioning voice. **Two** backpacks?" "Traveling a bit heavy, aren't you?"

Kyle looked at the two bags in his hand and sat heavily on the nearby chair.

"One is Isabelle's," he admitted. "When I couldn't find her, I grabbed both our bags and ran."

"Well, did she leave you a note or anything inside the bag?"

"Damn, I never even looked in her bag, I was focusing on getting here," he said.

"Do you want me to do it?" Liz asked in a gentle voice. She knew how hard it would be for Kyle to go through Isabelle's things.

"No, I'll do it," he said, yanking on the zipper of the nylon pack. He reached in, and pulled out a change of clothes, some toiletries, and a manila folder full of papers. Kyle opened the folder and began to read, and it didn't take him long for him to realize what he was looking at.

The folder contained dossiers on himself and the others. Wordlessly, he handed part of the stack to Liz, and she too began to read.

"I don't understand," she said. "Where did Isabelle get this information on us?"

"Oh shit!" shouted Kyle. "No, no, no, no, no, it can't be true, damn it, it can't be!" He passed Liz the rest of the papers and she glanced over them.

Slowly, the confusion on Liz's face was replaced by a look of horror. 

"Jesse's and FBI agent?" she whisperd in a shocked voice. "Poor Isabelle, she must be devastated."

"Okay,"said Kyle in a take-charge voice. We're going to the space needle, we'll give her 3 days to get here, and then we take off. We also have to figure out a way to let our folks know that Jesse is an agent, and that they are in danger too."

"Well, we can't call, I'm sure their phones are tapped," said Liz. "And I wouldn't count on mail getting through either. Kyle, what about a fax?"

"Oh sure Liz, you want to fax my dad at the sheriff's department? So not loving that idea."

"Not your dad, Kyle, mine. Mom and Dad put a fax in the restaurant to increase takeout business. Right before we leave, we can hit one of those mail box/copy stores and send a fax."

"That just might work Liz, I always knew you were the brains of this outfit," said Kyle as he reached over and hugged his friend.

Three days came and went, and there was no sign of Isabelle at the space needle. On their way out of town, Kyle and Liz stopped at a Mailbox Etc. store and sent a cryptic fax to her parents at the Crash Down.

_Jesse wants to order the FBI agent Special. Claudia Parker._

"Man, I hope they figure out what you're talking about," said Kyle.

"I hope so too," sighed Liz, "But I don't want to come right out and say it in case somebody else picks up the fax. I'm hoping my grandma's name will clue them into the fact that it's me."

"Did you remember to leave a sign for Isabelle at the space needle, so she'll know that we were here?" questioned Kyle.

"Yeah, yeah I did," answered Liz with a slight smile.

Four days later, Max and Isabelle walked around the base of the space needle, trying to locate Kyle.

"It's no use, Max, he's not here," said Isabelle leaning up against a low stonewall.

"Isabelle, we just got here. Why don't we give it a couple of days," said Max as he looksed around for anything that would indicate that Kyle was around. Suddenly, he started to walk away from Isabelle toward a concrete barrier that was being used to block off a parking area.

Pausing for a second to make sure he wasn't being watched he waved his hand over the barrier, and began to smile.

Isabelle walked over to where he was standing and began to laugh as well, the sound spilling out of her releasing so much of the tension that had built up inside of her. 

There, burnt into the cement, was a glowing heart with the letters ME + LP inside of it, and right next to it, the unmistakable outline of a Mickey Mouse head with a KV in it.

"Well," said Max grinning in relief, "I guess we're going to Disney Land."


	9. chapter 9

Part 9 

Kyle and Liz roar down the interstate on Kyle's motorcycle.  A cold rain envelops them as they travel, but they are determined to reach their destination as soon as possible.  Liz is surprised when Kyle makes an unexpected detour.  The bike slows as Kyle pulls into the deserted parking lot of a closed shopping center.

"Kyle, what's wrong, why are we stopping?" questions Liz.

"Nothing's wrong," he answers.  "Now, get off the bike."

"What, why Kyle, what's happening?"  
  
"What's happening is you need to know how to drive this thing in case you need to get away and I'm not around, that's what," he says as he gets off the bike.

"Kyle, don't talk like that, nothing's going to happen," says Liz in a shaky voice.

"Great, fine, nothing's going to happen, now get yourself back on here and get ready for your first lesson."

Kyle patiently explained the controls of the motorcycle, and how to shift.  After several false starts, Liz began to grasp the basics and was able to circle the parking lot without any mishaps.  Stopping the bike in front of Kyle, Liz flushes triumphantly as she removes her helmet and wipes the rain from her face.

"Well, Evil Kenival you are not," says Kyle, but you'll do."

"Who's Evil Kenival?" asks Liz.

"Never mind," sighs Kyle.  "Just get on the bike."  "Man, where are Max and Michael when you need them?"

Later that night, the need for sleep overwhelms the two, and they find a motel and check in.  Kyle immediately stretches out on the bed, so Liz grabs her stuff and heads for the shower.  Standing under the steaming spray, she lathers up her hair.  She feels almost decedent as the water cascades off her body and soothes the aching muscles in her back and legs. 

_ "Looking good there Parker!"_

Liz gives a small scream, as she is shocked out of her reverie by the voice.  She rubs blindly at her stinging eyes as the shampoo runs down her face and into her eyes and mouth

"Kyle, you pervert, get out of here," she shouts, but there is no answer.

_Kyle, you jerk, is that you_?"] She thinks to herself

_Yeah, it is.  I'm going to try and contact Isabelle, but I just thought I'd make sure it still worked._

_It works, it works_, says Liz in her mind.  _Now get your mind the hell out of my shower.  I'll be out in a minute._

Liz quickly rinses the shampoo from her hair and steps out of the shower.  She pulls a change of clothes out of her bag and throws them on.  _We so need to hit a Laundromat soon_, she thinks as she exits the bathroom.

Kyle is still laying on the bed, motionless, an intense look of concentration on his face.  Liz sits silently on the other bed and watches as he tries to contact Isabelle.  Hope builds in Liz when she notices that his lips are moving, forming silent words.  After about 15 minutes, he sits up, and turns to Liz.

"I did it, I reached her," he says in triumph, "She's not alone, Max is with her."  "They said we should just continue to the scheduled meeting place, and we'll make plans there.

"What did she say about Max, is he ok?" questions Liz.  "And how is Isabelle, is she dealing with this whole thing ok?"

"I don't think she's dealing with this at all," says Kyle.  "She refused to talk about any of it, not even after I told her we had Jesse's files."  "And Max says to stay safe, and he loves you very much, and he'll see you in about 3 days."

Liz's shoulders slump in relief as she learns that her husband is safe, and she will be seeing him in a few short days.

"Great, I'm starving," she says.  "Want to go grab a burger or something?"

"That sounds great," says Kyle as he jumps up off the bed.

The two walk to the door, but before opening it, Kyle peers out the window overlooking the parking lot.  He peers from behind the curtain, turns to Liz and says calmly,  "I'm afraid we have some company out there.


	10. chapter 10

Part 10 

"Company, what do you mean company?" questions Liz.  "Max and Isabelle type company?" she asks in a hopeful voice.

"Nope"

"Um..Michael and Maria company?"

"No, I'm sorry, you have one life line left."   "Did you wish to phone a friend?"

"Uh, our parents figured out what the fax meant and decided to join us on the road?" asks Liz in a doubtful voice.

"I'm sorry Liz Parker, you are the weakest link," says Kyle.

"Geez Kyle, did you do anything besides watch television in Boston?"  "Now, please tell me that is not the FBI out there!"

"Ok, it's not the FBI, but really, it is."

"Kyle, how can you be so calm about this?" asks an agitated Liz.

"Liz, after all we've been through, 4 agents in a car are nothing."  "I want you to take our stuff, and climb out the back window."  "I'm going to cause a distraction, and you take off on the bike, going west."  "After I get away, I'll head south, you circle around and pick me up."

"No way, why don't we both just go out the back way together and make a run for it."

"We need the bike Liz, that's why."  "I don't really want to walk the next 500 or so miles."

"Fine, you take the bike, I'll make the distraction."

"No," says Kyle firmly.  "Liz, you are far more valuable, I have to protect you."  "I failed Isabelle; I'm not going to fail again."

"Kyle, I am not your responsibility, and I can take care of myself!" shouts Liz angrily.

"No, but you are my friend, and I'm not going to lose you too."

Liz acquiesces, but she isn't happy about it.  "You know Kyle, you're my friend too, and I don't want anything to happen to you either."

"Don't worry, it won't, no pass me my pack for a second."  

Kyle reaches into his bag and pulls out a small bottle of scotch, and takes a small sip.  He swishes that around in his mouth and spits it out into the trashcan.  He then proceeds to pour half the bottle on himself.

"This is your plan, get drunk?" asks Liz.

"No, my plan is to act drunk."  "I haven't had even a beer since my alien powers came to the surface."  "Remember how Max was that one time?"  "I don't ever want to act like that," says Kyle grinning as he remembers how totally out of control Max was.

"Damn it Kyle, this isn't going to work!"

"Well, it's all we got, so lets do it."  "Check out the back window, is anybody out there?"  
  
Liz goes to the back of the room and looks out side.  Fortunately, their room overlooks a steep hill.

"I don't see anyone out there," says Liz.

"Ok, I'll help you out and pass the bags to you, remember wait until you hear me out there before you head for the bike."

"Kyle, be careful, please," she says softly.

"I will be."  "Now, if we don't hook up by tomorrow at noon, I want you to head straight to meet the others."  "Promise me Liz."

Liz looks doubtful, but nods swiftly and quickly hugs Kyle before climbing out the window.  Kyle passes their packs to her, and she sneaks off around the side of the building.  A short time later, she hears someone singing loudly.  _American Pie_? she thinks to herself.  _Doesn't he know any other songs?_  There is a loud crashing noise, and she hears Kyle banging on the hood of a car.

"Hey, you guys wanna drink?" he shouts

Liz peers around the corner of the building and sees Kyle trying to get the FBI agents to get out of their car.

"She dumped me?" he shouts.  "Can you believe she dumped me, wants to go find herself or something."

The FBI agents climb cautiously out of their car and scout the area.  Finally, they seem convinced that Kyle is just a heart broken drunk, and they approach him.

"Sir, we're going to have to ask you to step away from our vehicle."  "We are here on official business."

"Are you guys cops?"  "Hey, maybe I could be a cop."  "I bet Lurleen would come back to me if I was a cop."  "She never liked my job anyhow."  "I don't know why, there is nothing wrong with pumping out septic tanks."

"Sir, we are going to have to ask you to step away from this vehicle!"

_Liz, go now_, Kyle's voice says in her head.

Liz quietly creeps out from the side of the building and runs to Kyle's motorcycle.  She pushes it out of the parking lot to the side of the road and climbs on.  Turning back, she looks at Kyle, who is now lying across the hood of the FBI agent's car.  She kick starts the bike and heads off down the highway.


	11. chapter 11

**Part 11**

Jim Valenti walks through the doors of the CrashDown restaurant and sits at the counter.

"Hey there, Geoff, can I have a chocolate time warp shake to go please."

"Sure thing Sher, I mean Deputy."  "Here, why don't you take a look at the menu while I make your shake," says Geoff, shooting Jim an intense look.

"Ok, actually, I am kind of hungry," says Jim as he reaches for the menu.  Opening it, he sees the fax from Liz.  He looks at Geoff, his eyebrows rising in a questioning look.

"You know Geoff, Amy and I were wondering if you and Nancy would like to go to dinner at that new place over in Alamogordo some time?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, Nancy was just saying the other day, we don't get to see enough of you two," says Geoff.  "Carol," he says to a passing waitress.  "Can you go make sure the two gentlemen in the corner are all set."

Jim turns to watch the waitress make her way over to the table in the corner where two strangers sat.  He gives Geoff a questioning look, and Geoff subtly nods.  Both men are sure the strangers are FBI agents, but they have no way to confirm it.  Nancy Parker comes into the restaurant and steps behind the counter to hug her husband.

"Hi Jim, how are you?"

"Hi Nancy, Geoff and I were just discussing how great it would be if you and he could join Amy and I for dinner at that new place in Alamogordo."

Nancy looks startled at the mention of Jim and Amy as a couple, but she hides her amazement.  Seeing the fax hidden in the menu, she realizes what is happening.

"Actually Jim, Geoff and I were planning on meeting Philip and Diane for dinner tonight at that new Italian place."  "Why don't the two of you join us?"  "Here's the address, and why don't we say 7:00."

Nancy quickly scribbles the address on a blank order pad and hands it to Jim.

"Great, we'll look forward to seeing you tonight at 7:00."

"Here's your shake Jim, come on, I'll walk you out, I wanted to ask you about starting a civilian patrol unit anyhow."

The two men walk out of the restaurant.  Nancy purposefully places the order pad on the counter and heads back towards the grill area.  As she leaves the room, one of the men sitting at the corner table gets up and grabs the order pad off of the counter.

"Perfect," he says to his partner.  "It has a carbon in it."  "We can have surveillance stake the restaurant out before they get there."

Nancy peeks out from the pick up window, and smiles to herself when she realizes they fell for the bait.  Outside the Crash Down, Jim and Geoff make plans to meet at a restaurant in East Grand Plains.

Jim climbs into his vehicle and starts down the road, as luck would have it, Phillip Evans was heading out of town.  Falling in behind him, Jim turns on his flashing lights and pulls Phillip over.  Wasting no time, he fills the other man in on the situation and shows him the fax.

"Jesse?" he asks.  "I can't believe that Jesse would do this to Isabelle."  "He loves her so much."  "As a matter of fact, he called us just the other day asking if we had heard anything at all from Isabelle and Max."

"Well, my guess is, he wasn't caring too much about how Isabelle is, as opposed to **where** she, and the rest of them are," says Jim.

"And you say Geoff has federal agents in the café?"

"Well, neither one of us can prove it, but looks that way."

"Ok, look, I'll head home and let Diane know, and we'll meet all of you tonight."  

"Watch your back Philip," says Jim, heading back to his vehicle.

"Looks like we're all going to have to watch each other's backs," says Philip as he gets in his car and heads back towards town.


	12. chapter 12

Part 12 

"That's them, that's them, lets get out of here," shouts one of the agents as he shoves Kyle out of his way.

"Now that's not very nice," said Kyle drunkenly.  "Here I am, just trying to be nice, and you shoved me."

"Sir, you need to get out of our way now," shouts one of the agents as the back door of the car opens.  A tall man steps out and looks at the scene before him.  

"Agent Feltcher, why are we still here?" he asks

"Sir, this civilian is being difficult.  He won't get out of our way," whined Feltcher.

"Are you, or are you not a federal agent, trained to deal with situations like this?"

"Yes Dr. Henderson, you are correct," the agent said in a sulky voice.  He shoved Kyle who staggered a bit.  Feltcher then proceeds to raise his fist and strike Kyle in the jaw, knocking him unconscious.

"Very good Agent Feltcher, I was beginning to believe you had no desire to catch Ms. Parker," said Dr. Henderson as he climbs back into the car.  "Both you and Agent Morris here," he said nodding at the other agent, "Have let her slip through your grasp on several different occasions."

"Ah, we realize that Sir," said Feltcher.  "She is very clever, but don't worry, we will catch her."

"Yes, we will," says Henderson ominously as the car heads down the road in the direction Liz took.  "The transmitter we planted is very effective indeed."

Getting up of the ground, Kyle dusts himself off and calls out to Liz.

_Liz, get off the main road now, they just left.  They are following you.  I'm going to head out now on Old Mill Rd.  Swing back and pick me up_.

_Kyle, I'm so glad you are safe_, Liz answers back.  _Old Mill Rd, that's the road that runs perpendicular to the motel, right?  I'll be there in 30 minutes_.

_Liz, wait, Liz, they are tracking you….Liz?_ shouts Kyle in his mind, but it is too late, the connection is broken.

Liz takes the next turn off she can find and heads back towards the hotel using back roads and trails whenever possible.  Crossing an empty field, she pulls out onto what she hopes is Old Mill Road.  She follows he road back towards the hotel.  In the distance, she sees a figure walking up the road.  As she pulls closer, she is happy to realize it is Kyle, who is limping as he walks.  Liz pulls the bike up beside him.

"Hey stranger, looking for a lift?"

"Liz, we have to get the hell out of here, now, they have a transmitter planted somewhere on you."

"Oh shit," she yells.  "I never thought of that, but how?"

"It doesn't matter how, we have to find it and get rid of it."

"Ok, lets head back towards town, I have an idea," she says as Kyle climbs on the bike and they drive off.

Kyle and Liz pull into a busy McDonald's parking lot and begin to search her belongings.  They locate the transmitter which had been sewn the lining of her pocketbook.

"I don't get it," she says to Kyle.  "This was a new bag.  I bought it the night before I left.  The only time it was out of my sight is when I was at work.  I put it in my desk drawer."

"Well then, that means somebody at that hospital where you worked put it in there," said Kyle.  "There's no sense in trying to figure out who it is, just throw the darn thing out and let's get out of here."

"No," said Liz with a gleam in her eye.  I have a better idea." 

She walks away and stops at a large motor home.  After conversing with the occupants, she smiles and walks away.  As she walks past the rear of the RV, she drops her backpack.  As she bends to pick it up, she fastens the transmitter to the rear of the RV.  She tosses her pocketbook in the trash and heads back to Kyle.

"All set," she says.  "Let's go."

"Liz, what did you do?  Are you insane?  You just put those people in danger," shouts Kyle.

"Oh, I don't think so, that's Lt. Col. David McGuire USAF retired.  He and his wife are taking their grandchildren on a tour of the United States.  If and when the feds catch up with them, they'll run the plates first, so they should be all set."

"Liz, you are evil…truly evil.  I'm really glad you are on our side," says Kyle with a laugh.  

The two climb on the motorcycle, and head back out of town.


	13. chapter 13

Part 13 

"Oh shit, that hurt," yells the man as the wrench slips from his grasp and he jams his hand against the motorcycle he is repairing.  "This piece of crap bike is never going to run again, so why the hell am I trying to fix it!"

A bell rings in the other room, signaling that a customer has entered.  The man grabs a rag and wraps it around his bleeding hand and heads out front.  A woman waits at the counter.  Her long blond hair is drawn back into a ponytail.  

"Help you?" he asks the woman.

"Ah, yeah, my bike broke down.  Luckily, I was just down the street, so I pushed it to your repair shop.  Do you think you can take a look at it."

"Yeah, sure, here, you fill out this work order, and I'll bring it around back," the man said.  Liz watches has he vaults over the counter and heads out the door.  He is tall and rather muscular, and his long black hair is pulled back in a ponytail.  He pushes the bike around the back as Liz fills out the work order with false information.

_Liz, you ok in there?_ asks Kyle from a bench across the street.  _I wish you had let me bring the bike in. _

_Yeah, I'm fine Kyle, and I think my bringing it in playing a ditzy girl is a better plan._

_Yes, I know, you informed me of that in no uncertain terms about 100 times _said Kyle in a long suffering voice.

"So, is it going to be alright," she yells as the guy brings the bike into the work area.

"I don't know, I have to look at it first," snapped the repairman as he walks back out front to retrieve the work order.

"Look Miss White," he said looking at the repair order.  "This is going to take a while.  Why don't you go grab a bite to eat and come back in about an hour."?

"Oh please, it's my boyfriends bike, and he'll be so upset to know that I broke it," Liz said in breathy voice.

"Yeah whatever.  Look, let me patch up my hand here, and I'll get right on it," said the man as he unwound the rag from his hand.

Liz watches as he removes the rag, figuring she can lend a hand if it's a bad cut.  Looking at his hand, she gasps, her eyes drawn to a ring the man has on his right hand.  The man sees her staring at his hand.

"Sorry," he says.  "I'll bandage it right up and get to work on your bike."

Liz keeps staring at the ring.  Finally she finds her voice.  "Michael?"

The man step back and raises his hand.  "Who the hell **are** you?" he shouts.

"Oh my God, Michael, it is you," says the blond as she begins to cry. "Is Maria here too?"

"I said, 'Who the hell are you'.  You better answer me quick."

"Michael, it's me, it's Liz!"


	14. chapter 14

 **Part 14**

A surveillance van is parked across from Lombardi's Restaurant in Alamogordo.  Agent Burns walks from his car and enters the restaurant.

"How many in your party?" asks the hostess.

Agent Burns looks at his watch, which reads 6:50.  "Actually, I don't think the rest of my party has arrived yet.  Would you mind very much if I waited here for them?"  

"Oh no sir, not at all," replies the woman.  "Would you care to give me their names, I can check to see if they already arrived?"

"It would either be under Valenti, Evans or Parker," answers the agent.

The hostess checks the seating chart.  "You are right sir, they haven't arrived yet, but I'm sure they'll be along any minute.  We do have a reservation for Evans at 7:00 pm."

The phone at the hostess station rings and the hostess answers "Lombardi's Fine Italian Restaurant.  How may I help you?"  "Mr. Evans, you want to cancel your reservation?  No, that won't be a problem.  I do hope nothing is wrong.  Ok, fine, I'll explain to the rest of your party.  Good evening Mr. Evans.

The hostess turns toward the FBI agent.  "That was Mr. Evans on the phone, he called to cancel his reservations for tonight.  But he did ask me to give you a message.  He said to tell you that family comes first, and that you'd know what he means."

"Yes, I know exactly what he means," said the agent as he spins around and storms out of the restaurant.  He heads over to the surveillance van and climbs inside.  "We were set up, they are on to us!"

At a small diner on the outskirts of East Grand Plains, Philip Evans disconnects he cell phone and turns towards the others.  "I think it worked.  I know for a fact Diane and I weren't followed out here."

"No, neither were Amy and I," says Jim

"I don't think we were either," says Geoff.  "Well, now that we're here, what do we do?"

"I think one of the first things we should do is check our homes for electronic bugs, and try and use cell phones whenever possible."

"Jim, what about our kids?  Are they going to be ok," questions Amy.

"I'm sure they will.  They are very smart kids, and they've managed to survive with this secret for a long time."

"God, how can you just sit there so calmly?" shouts Amy.  "You've know about this for 3 years, and you never ever told us what was going on with them."

"Jesus Amy, calm down," hisses Nancy.  "We've been through all of this countless times.  He couldn't tell us, it was too dangerous, plus, would you have believed your daughter was dating an um a Czechoslovakian?"

Amy DeLucca calms down almost as quickly as she flared up.  "I know, it's just so hard, I didn't get to say good bye to my baby."

"None of us really did," says Diane as she reaches across the table to take Amy's hand.  "But you know Maria loves Michael, and that all of them will do whatever it takes to protect each other."

A waitress approaches the table and places glasses of water in front of each person.  "I'll be right back to take your order," she says before she walks away.

"I'm glad she brought this," said Jim as he picked up the glass full of icy water.  It's hot in here."  As he speaks, the water in the glass begins to bubble and spill over the edge.  "Damn, that's hot water," shouts Jim.

"No, it's not Jim, I think you made it hot," whispers Geoff.  "You said Max healed you, right.  Well, what happened to Lizzie after he saved her?  And why did Kyle leave?  I think you are starting to change."


	15. chapter 15

Part 15 

The man behind the counter slowly lowers his hand, but looks doubtful.  "Liz, I don't know anyone named Liz," he says.

"Bull," says Liz "And I can prove it."

"You want to prove to me that I do know you, go ahead, the more time I waste out here talking to you, the longer it takes to fix your bike," says the man as he folds his arms across his chest and leans against a desk.

"Ok," says Liz.  "All hail the Christmas Nazi.  Candy Cane the Elf reporting for duty Santa! Where is Snowflake, is she ok?"

Michael vaults over the counter and grabs Liz in a hug.  "Holy Shit Liz, what are you doing here?  Where is Maxwell?" he says looking around.

"Michael, Michael, you're crushing me," says Liz as she gasps for breath.

"What, oh, sorry," says Michael as he releases her.

Liz takes a deep breath.  "Michael, Max isn't here, we got separated.  I'm here with Kyle, and there is just so much to tell you.

Just then, the door bursts open and Kyle comes running in and tackles Michael.  "Run, run, I've got him, get out of here now!"

Liz starts to laugh hysterically and tears stream down her face.

"Damn it Valenti, will you get the hell off of me," shouts Michael.

"Kyle, stop," Liz gasps between bursts of laughter.  "That's Michael Kyle, it's Michael!"

"Michael? Really?  Damn, I'm sorry man, I didn't know."

"You're not supposed to, that's part of the whole separating and hiding thing, remember?"

"Yeah, that's Michael, sarcastic as ever," says Kyle.

"What the hell are you doing here anyhow, and where are Max and Isabelle?"

"Look Michael, it's a long story, is there someplace that's safe to talk?  And where's Maria, she needs to be here to," says Liz.

"Maria's working at a daycare over on Main St.  She gets off in about an hour.  Look, let me close up here and we can head over there together."

"Wait, what about my bike?" questions Kyle.

"Your bike? I should have known with the picture of Buddha on it," says Michael.  "We'll come back here after we get Maria and some food and I'll fix it then."

Michael closes up the shop and leads the others over to the daycare where Maria is working.  The sound of children laughing and shouting fill the air, as they get closer to the playground.  Michael leans against the fence and looks for Maria.

"There she is, over there, the one with the short curly black hair."

Maria sees Michael against the fence and waves to him and starts to approach cautiously, a questioning look on her face.

"Hi Mariah," says Michael, "My cousins from Nebraska stopped by on their way through town.  You remember me mentioning them.  Grasshopper, Candy Cane, this is Mariah."

Maria put her hands over her mouth to prevent the screams from escaping.  "Oh my God, Oh my God, it is **SO** good to see you.  When did you get here?  Can you stay long?"

"Look Mariah, why don't you see if you can escape early, and we'll go grab something to eat.  We have a lot to catch up on."

Maria runs across the playground to another one of the adults and begins to speak.  The others were unable to hear what she was saying, but her arms were flying about in a million different directions.

"Well, it's good to see some things never change," says Liz with a small grin as Maria disappears inside of the building.  She emerges a few minutes later carrying her coat and a backpack.

"Girlfriend, I am so happy to see you," whispers Maria to Liz.  "And you Buddha Boy, come here and give me a hug!"

The friends hug briefly then head out to get some food and return to Michael's bike shop.  They are sitting around eating while Liz and Kyle fill them in on all that has been happening.  They decide that Kyle and Liz will camp out in the bike shop, and tomorrow, Michael and Maria will pick them up and they will head to Disney Land.  Liz and Kyle walk through the back of the shop with Michael and Maria so that they can lock up after they leave.  Maria pauses at the door to hug Liz one more time.

"Chica, I wish you could come home with us."

"Me too, but this is safer, for everyone," says Liz.  The two girls hug goodbye as Michael and Kyle stand outside the door making plans for tomorrow.  Suddenly, and explosion rocks the building.


	16. chapter 16

Part 16 

The warm California sun beats down on the pavement; throwing heat back up and making them feel as though they were in an oven.

"I'm telling you Max, if I have to listen to It's a Small World one more time, I am going to scream," says Isabelle as she lifts her long black hair the back of her neck.  "Why did you and Liz pick such a stupid place to meet anyhow?  What's wrong with a nice air conditioned hotel or something?"

"Because it's out in the open, and there are plenty of people around so that we can just blend in with the crowd."  "It's also a very romantic spot," he whispers under his breath as he turns away.

"What was that Max, I didn't quite catch what you said," laughs Isabelle.  "Did you say it's a romantic spot?"

"Shut up Isabelle, and keep your eyes peeled.  We don't know what they are going to look like."

"Look Max, we've been here since this stupid park opened, can't we go get something to eat and get in the shade for a while?"

"I don't want to miss them when the get here Isabelle?"

"Look, I told you if Kyle's near by, I'm going to know it _NOW_ can we go get something cold to drink."

"How reliable is this power of Kyle's?" asks Max.  "None of us have ever been able to communicate nonverbally, why should he?"

"I don't know Max, but I do know if you don't go get me a water, I'm going to scream."

"Fine, fine, there's an ice cream place across from the carousel, we can go there and still keep an eye on things."

"Thanks Max, you're so loving and giving and generous in your nature."

After getting their drinks, Isabelle manages to convince Max that it will be ok for them to walk around the park.  They explore the different areas, always returning back to the carousel to check for Liz and Max.  As night falls, Max begins to get discouraged.

"They should be here by now Iz.  Something must have gone wrong," Max says with fear in his voice.  Behind him, fireworks light up the night sky. 

"Max, I think you are worrying about nothing.  I'm sure they are delayed and will be here soon.  However, I don't think it's going to be tonight.  Now come one.  Let's go ride on Space Mountain.  That will shake you right out of this funk you are in."

Max agrees, and the two wait for their turn on the ride.  They are strapped into their seats, and the ride begins its ascent up into the inky darkness.  As the ride begins its twisting and turning descent, Max hears screams coming from behind him.

Laughing out loud he shouts back to his sister, "I guess this was a good idea.  Having fun Isabelle."  

The ride comes to an end and the pair climb out of the car.  Max reaches back to help Isabelle and is shocked to see that she is in tears.

"Isabelle, what is it?  Come on, it was only a ride."

"No Max, not the ride.  It's Kyle.  I can't feel him anymore.  I heard him scream out in pain, and then there was silence."


	17. chapter 17

**Part 17**

"Damn," says Jim.  "I wish this wasn't happening now.  I can't believe it happening now.  I don't understand _WHY_ it's happening now.  Liz's powers didn't show up for almost 2 years according to her, and Kyle's hadn't even begun to manifest themselves before they left.  Why me, and why now?"

"I don't know Jim, but maybe age has something to do with it," answers Philip.  "In any event, do you have any ideas about what is going to happen to you?"

"No.  In the beginning, Max didn't realize this would be a side effect of his saving anybody.  Let me think, the first time Liz's abilities showed up was when Max and Tess were in New York."

"That's right," said Geoff.  "Liz wrote something about astrally projecting to warn Max of danger.  Well Jim, have any good out of body experiences lately?"

Everyone at the table laughs and the tension eases a bit.  The waitress approaches and the group place their orders and wait for her to depart.

"As I see it, we have several issues we need to focus on," said Philip.  "The FBI is on our tail, and my own son-in-law is apparently one of them.  We also have Jim's new, ah, gifts, to cope with.  Anybody have any ideas about how to proceed?"

"Jim, did Max, or Isabelle or Michael ever talk about what they did to develop their powers?" asks Amy

"A little, but not much.  Why?"  

"Well, it just seems to me that you would want to develop these things," answers Amy.  "You never know when you may need to use them."

"Amy's right Jim," says Nancy.  "It doesn't look like the danger has disappeared from our lives."

"I just can't believe the kids left to protect us, and here we are being tailed by the FBI," says Diane Evans.  "The kids should have just stayed here."

"Honey, they thought they were doing the right thing," says Philip.  "They were trying to protect us, as well as themselves."

"And their still trying to protect us by letting us know about Jesse," adds Geoff.  He stops talking as a horrific thought occurs to him.  "You don't think they'll try and come home because of Jesse, do you?"

"God, I hope not," says Philip as he cradles his head into his hands.  "We have to go out of our way to not let Jesse know we are onto him."

"Well, it's a little bit late for that after the game of cloak and daggers we played with the FBI today," says Nancy.

"Damn, that's right.  We'll have to figure out some way to do damage control."

The three couples are silent as the waitress brings their meals to the table.  They all pick at their food as they try to figure out some way to justify their change of plans to the FBI.

"Oh, oh, I have an idea," says Amy in an excited voice.  "My nephew Sean just got arrested again.  Suppose, just suppose, I approached Jim to be his lawyer, and that's what we were doing tonight instead of going out to dinner."

"That might work," says Geoff.  "But what about the message we had the hostess give the agent?"

"Well, we didn't say specifically who that message was for, it could have been for you and Nancy," says Philip.  "Yeah, in fact, I'm betting you anything that our friendly FB I agents will be in the Crashdown tomorrow.  Both Jim and I will have to make a point of stopping by to make sure you got the message I left for you at Lombardi's."

"You know, it just might work," says Nancy thoughtfully  "And Amy, I really think you Diane and I need to have coffee at the Crashdown tomorrow so you can tell us all about the problems your nephew is having."

They finish up their meals quickly and make plans to head back to Roswell.  Geoff and Nancy decide to drive down to Alamogordo, and head into town that way, just in case the FBI are watching them.  They walk out to the parking lot of the diner and prepare to get into their cars.

"I really think you all need to consider the fact that our kids will be coming home," said Jim.  "I know they are your children, and you think you know them best, but I've seen how they work in dangerous situations.  Taking care of the ones they love is what matters to them.  If they think we're in danger, they are going to come home."

"Jim, I hope you are wrong, but it is something we have to be prepared to deal with," says Geoff.  "First, lets appease the FBI, and then we'll start planning for a possible homecoming."


	18. chapter 18

Part 18 

Liz makes the slow climb back to consciousness, only to find the motorcycle shop engulfed in flames.  "Maria!" she screams.  "Maria, where are you?"  She searches throughout the back of the bike shop but is unable to locate her friend.  "Maria!" she screams one final time, but there is no answer.  Coughing from the smoke, as well as the tears she is holding back, Liz pauses for a moment to get her bearings.  The heat from the fire is growing more intense, and the flames are drawing closer.    A large beam falls from the ceiling consumed by flames.  She spies Kyle's motorcycle, not yet consumed by flames.  Next to it are their bags.  Running to the bike, she hops on, and prays that Michael managed to get it running enough to get her out of her.  She grabs their bags, climbs on the bike, presses the starter and it miraculously roars to life.  She roars through the back of the shop, and out the rear door, which had been blown loose from the explosion.  In the back alley, she jumps off the bike and looks around.  Lying unconscious next to the door is Maria.  Liz thanks God as she runs to her friend.   _I guess the explosion was strong enough to blow her out the door_, she thinks to herself as she pulls Maria away from the burning building.  She sees Kyle and Michael lying in a heap, across the alleyway.  _Oh damn, I wish I had healing powers like Max,_ she thinks.  _That would make all of this so much easier_.   A groan from Kyle sent Liz back across the alley.

"Kyle, Kyle, wake up, can you hear me?" she shouts.

"I hear you, I hear you," he groans.  "What the hell happened?  Did the world get invaded or something?"

"The building exploded.  Kyle, we have to get Maria and Michael out of here before the police and fire department get here."  Even as Liz spoke, the sounds of sirens filled the air.  Kyle crawls over to Michael and taps him lightly on the face.

"Michael, Michael buddy, come on, snap out of it."  Kyle turns to look at Liz.  "He better not need mouth to mouth, because I draw the line at kissing him,"

"Kiss me, and I **will** kill you," said Michael as he tried to sit up.  "Where's Maria?  Is she ok?"

"She's over there Michael, but she's still unconscious.  We have to get her out of here," said Liz.

Michael digs into his pocket and passes a set of keys to Kyle.  "You guys get her to our place.  I'm going to stay here and try and figure out what happened."

"Man, you can't stay, the cops will be all over this place in a matter of minutes!" shouts Kyle.

"Look, don't you think it will look more suspicious if I'm not here considering I own the stupid place!  I'll get home as soon as I can find out what's going on. But get Maria and yourselves the hell out of here."

Liz tosses Michael the keys to Kyle's bike.  "Here, ride this home.  The three of us certainly can't ride it now."

"You saved my bike?" says Kyle incredulously.  "You went back in there for a damn motorcycle?  Liz, are you insane?"

"Yes, I saved your bike, no, I didn't go back in there for it, and no, I am not insane.  I guess when the explosion occurred; I ended up being blown to the side of the shop.  I was still inside when it happened, and I didn't get blown clear like Maria did.  I was still inside when I woke up.  I looked for Maria, but I couldn't find her anywhere.  So, I grabbed our bags, hopped on the bike and drove it out."

"I think I love you," said Kyle jokingly.  "Now, how are we going to get Maria home?"  

"Take my car," says Michael, handing them some keys.  "It's that gray Honda across the street."

"Let me bring it closer to the alley so we don't have to carry Maria as far," said Kyle as he starts to walk down the alley.  I'll be right back."

Michael picks Maria up in his arms, and he and Liz walk down to the entrance of the alley.

"Liz, did you really stay in there looking for Maria?" he asks.

"Of course I did Michael, she's my best friend," she answers simply.

"You are the best thing that could have happened to any of us.  Max did a good thing in saving you."

"Michael, no, if he didn't save me, none of this would be happening."

"You can't know that Liz.  We were bound to get caught some time.  This way, though, we have you on our side."

Kyle pulls up beside them, and Michael opens the door of the Honda and carefully puts Maria on the back seat.  Liz climbs in behind her and Michael shuts the door.

"Go!" he shouts.  "Here come the police."

The car pulls away, and moments later, the police and fire fighters arrive.  An officer climbs out of the car and approaches Michael.

"Sir, we are going to have to ask you to step back from the building.  It isn't safe."

"I can't believe this happened," said Michael.  "That's my shop!"  "I was driving by a few minutes ago, and I saw the flames.  I went around back to see if I could get inside but the fire was too strong."

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't try to get inside sir.  Now, would there have been anyone else in the building?"

"No," said Michael, trying to act distraught.  "Um Officer, I parked my bike down in the alley.  Do you think it would be ok if I went down there to get it?"

"I'll escort you down there sir, just to make sure nothing happens, and then, I'll need to ask you some questions for the report."

"Ah, yeah, sure," said Michael as he looked around.  There, across the street was a black sedan with four men sitting in it, staring at the fire, and at him.


	19. chapter 19

**part 19 **

Kyle drives down the streets of the unfamiliar town at breakneck speeds.  Liz sat in the back with Maria's head in her lap.  So far, the girl hadn't moved at all.  Both were concerned for their friend's safety.  Liz softly strokes Maria's hair and quietly whispers to her to wake up.  Liz pauses to wipe a smear of dirt from Maria's face, when she gets a flash.  _Liz standing next to Michael and Kyle, all three of them with hands raised to send out an energy blast.  Maria shouting something.  Sheriff Valenti, with his gun drawn and pointing at something in the distance.  Her parents crying.  Isabelle crying in Max's arms._

"Oh God, I hate this," she shouts.  "What does it mean.  Why can't they ever be straightforward and simple?"

"Ah, Liz, are you having some sort of attack back there that I need to be aware of?" asks Kyle as he turns down Michael and Maria's street.

"No, I just had another flash.  Not that it makes any sense at all, but I did get a flash."

"Well, what did you, **OH SHIT**," says Kyle.  "Looks like Michael and Maria have company too.  See the nice non descript black sedan we just past.  It had four of our wonderful friends in it."

"God, I am so sick of this," said Liz.  "How are we going to let Michael know?"  As she was speaking, her cell phone began to ring.

"You have a cell phone?" asked Kyle.  "You were going to share this with me when?"

"I got it at that last store we were at.  It's one of those pre-paid limited minutes things.  Hello?"

_Liz, it's Michael, we have a situation here at the shop_.

"Yeah, we have that same situation here at your apartment.  Do you and Maria have anything valuable you need from your apartment?  We'll figure out a way to get it."

Maria's the only valuable thing I have Liz.  I threw our backpacks into the trunk of the Honda after we got back from picking up Maria.  

"How did you know to call me on this number Michael?"

I had stuffed your work order from the shop in my pocket.  You wrote the number down as a contact number.

"God, that seems like a lifetime ago.  Ok, how do you want to play this Michael?"

I'll meet you tomorrow at your original meeting spot.  Liz, is Maria ok?  Did she wake up yet?

"No Michael, she hasn't yet, I'm sorry."

Just keep her safe Liz, and when she wakes up, tell her I love her.

"I will Michael. I promise."

_I know you will Liz, I know you will.  Ok, I have to get out of here, our friends across the street are getting suspicious._

"Bye Michael," says Liz and she terminates the call.  She fills Kyle in on what has happened.  He pulls the car into and empty Krispy Kreme Donut shop. After he runs in to get some food, Liz hops out of the car and does a quick paint and plate change.  The two quickly climb back into the car, and head off down the road.

"Officer, do you think this is going to take much longer?" asks Michael to the officer who is taking his statement.  "That was my girlfriend on the phone, she heard about the fire on the news, and she's a basket case."

"No Mr. Davis, I think we're about set here.  If there are anymore questions, we'll give you a call."   
  


"Thank you Officer, uh Weston," Michael says, stealing a look at the man's nametag.  "You have been so helpful and informative."  Michael found himself choking on the polite phrases, but he knew he had to do everything he could to get out of there as quick as possible. "I'm just going to run across the street and grab a cup of coffee, and head home.  Would you care to join me?" 

"Well, Mr. Davis, that's very thoughtful of you, but I really can't.  On duty and all, but I will walk across the street with you, you are looking a bit pale."

The two walk across the street to a nearby coffee shop and Michael quickly places a to go order.  He quickly drinks it down, trying hard not to show his disgust at the bitter taste.

"Thanks Officer Watson, that's just what I needed.  I think I'm ready to head out now," he says as the two cross the street.   As the walk past the car belonging to the FBI agents Michael casually places his hand on the hood.  All four tires slowly begin to leak air, and there is a faint buzzing and cracking from the engine.  All of which goes unnoticed with all the noise from the fire crews.  Thanking the officer again, Michael climbs on his bike and heads out of town.


	20. chapter 20

Part 20 

_Right on schedule_, Nancy thinks to herself as the two FBI agents enter the CrashDown and sit in their regular corner booth.  She slips her hand into her apron pocket and hits the speed dial button on her cell phone.  After one minute, she reaches back in, and disconnects the call without saying a word.  Fifteen minutes later, a crying Amy DeLucca walks in along with Diane Evans who is trying to comfort her.  Nancy turns to Geoff who is manning the grill and shouts, "I'm going to go see what's wrong honey, can you keep an eye on the register?"

He nods, and Nancy walks over to where the other ladies are sitting in a booth at the back of the restaurant.

"Amy, honey, what's the matter?  Can I help at all?" asks Nancy as she slides into the booth next to Amy.

"Oh Nancy, I'm so sorry we missed you last night, I tried to call you.  Please tell me you got the message Philip left at the restaurant."

"I did, I did, something about taking care of family, which made no sense.  What's going on?"

"It's Sean.  He was arrested again.  I didn't know what to do when he called me for help.  Philip and Diane had just shown up to pick Jim and I up to meet you.  I started telling Philip what happened, and he agreed to take on the case.  We started working on it right way."

"After about an hour," Diane continues, "I remembered we were all supposed to meet.  We tried to reach you on your cell phone and couldn't, so Philip left a message at the restaurant for you."

"I forgot to charge my cell yesterday, so it was dead.  But it's no big deal.  Geoff and I had a nice quiet night together if you know what I mean," grins Nancy as she raises her eyebrow.

The three women laugh together and Nancy reaches out and takes Amy's hand.

"You know Geoff and I are here if you need anything."

"That's right Amy," says Diane.  "You know you don't have to go through this whole Sean thing alone.  We're all here to help you."  
  


"Maybe Geoff could use him here if, I mean when Philip gets him released," adds Nancy  "Don't the judges look favorably upon employment?"

In the booth behind Diane, one of the agents gets up and walks across the restaurant and heads out he door.  Once outside, he pulls out a cell phone.

"Henderson, this is Webber.  We were wrong, our cover's not blown, repeat, our cover is intact."

He closes the cell and steps back into the restaurant.  As he enters the door, Jim Valenti steps out from the alleyway where he had been listening to the agent's phone call.  He strolls up to the counter and signals to Nancy to come take his order.  She excuses herself and joins him at the counter.    
  
"Deputy Valenti, what can I get for you today?"  

"Hi Nancy, I swear you get more beautiful with every passing day."

"You are such a flirt Jim," says Nancy laughing.

"I think I'll have an Alien Blast today.  To go please, I need to get back to work."

"Sure thing; that will be just a minute.  Can I get you anything else with that?"

"No, that will be fine.  Just fine," he added significantly as he subtly motioned towards the agents in the back of the room.

Nancy flashed him a quick smile to show she understood.

"Well, I think I see a couple more beautiful ladies who are pining away for me across the room."

"I'll bring your order over when it's ready," she calls to his back as he crosses the room.  After making sure the agent's attention was on Jim, she turns to Geoff at the grill and flashes a quick thumbs up to him.  Geoff quickly grabs his cell phone and places a call to Philip to let him know the agents aren't suspicious of them any longer.

Jim slides into the booth next to Amy and places a swift kiss on her cheek.

"How are two of my favorite ladies doing on this fine day?"

"Jim, you are such a terrible flirt lately," laughs Diane.

"Well, it's true, you ladies are indeed a vision of loveliness," he says.

Nancy approaches the table with Jim's take out order and burst out laughing.  "I can't believe that you aren't Irish with all the blarney you've been handing out.

"Oh sure'n I've a drop of the leprechaun's blood in me," he says in a very fake Irish brogue.

"Wait, that reminds me," he says.  "I bumped into Madam Vivienne today Amy, and she wanted to know if I knew where you were."

"Hmmm, I wonder what she wants?" asks Diane.

"Oh probably wants to know if I can order her some incense and stuff through the store."

"Well, you and Diane mentioned taking Nancy to lunch today to make up for last night," says Jim. "Why don't the three of you stop there on you way?  Who knows, maybe she'll see a handsome singing law man inviting you out to dinner tonight."  He laughed, but at the same time he shot the ladies a very intense look.

Nancy quickly catches his meaning and jumps in. "Sure, lunch is a great idea, and I certainly don't mind stopping out at Madam Vivienne's place first.  We local businesses have to support each other."

The other three laugh and Jim gets his to go order and exits the CrashDown.  After a few minutes of chitchat designed to convince the agents they are nothing but three friends getting together, the women leave the CrashDown and get into Diane's car.  The three drive off in the direction of Madam Vivienne's home.  Several miles down the road, they see Jim's Blazer on the side of the road.  Diane quickly pulls over.  Jim exits his vehicle and walks over to where they are parked.

"What's up Jim," says Diane through the open window.  "What's with the Madam Vivienne stuff?"

"She really did bump into me, but she didn't want to see just Amy.  She was adamant about seeing the three of you together.  Personally, I think she's just a big quack anyhow."

"Well, you may think she's a quack, but I don't, and remember what Liz's journal said.  Madam Vivienne warned Michael about what was going to happen at graduation," said Amy.  "Besides, Maria had complete faith in her."

"Yeah," says Jim doubtfully.  "Well, you ladies watch your backs please."

"We will Jim," says Diane as she puts the car in gear and heads to Madam Vivienne's shop.


	21. chapter 21

 Part 21 

**Authors Note:  **Thanks so much for all the great feedback everyone.  You are getting the updates as fast as I can write them.  As to how it's going to end, I won't have a clue until I type the words The End J

As Kyle drives down the deserted highway, Liz sits in the back of the car with a still unconscious Maria.

"I don't get it Liz.  How did the FBI, or the Special Unit or whatever the hell they were know where Michael and Maria were living?"

"I don't know, unless they had a bug on them too.  Pull over Kyle, there's a rest area over there."

Kyle pulls the car into the relatively deserted rest area, and Liz grabs the keys from them and pops the trunk.  She pulls Michael and Maria's escape bags out of the back and dumps the contents on the ground.  Seeing what she's doing, Kyle gets out of the car and moves to help her.  They go through all the clothing and personal possessions, but can't find anything.  Liz starts ripping at the seams of one of the bags with Kyle's pocketknife.

"Found it," she yells triumphantly as she holds the small transmitter up in her hand.  As she and Kyle gather up Michael and Maria's belongings and toss them in the trunk, a state trooper pulls into the rest area.

"Good evening," says the trooper as he exits the patrol car.  "Are you folks having any problems tonight."

"Oh no officer," says Liz shooting him a blinding grin.  The officer blushes a little at Liz's beautiful smile.  "We were just driving home when," she pauses as Maria picks this very inopportune time to regain consciousness.  Without missing a beat, Liz continues, "My friend Maria felt sick to her stomach, so we pulled over.  She and her boyfriend had a bad fight, and she decided that a few frozen mudslides would help ease her pain.  When Jeff and I, this is my boyfriend Jeff," she says pointing to Kyle, "found out what was happening, we had some friends drive us up to be with her.  Now we're just trying to get her home in one piece."

"That's very commendable of you," says the trooper.  "Do you mind if I take a look at her?"

"Oh no, of course not sir," says Liz shooting Kyle a worried glance.

The trooper walks over to the car and opens the door.  A disoriented Maria is leaning against the seat crying.

"Where's Space Boy?  I need my spaceboy!"

The trooper looks at Liz questioningly.

"Pet name," she responds.  "At least I think they are, but there are just some things I don't really need to know," she says as she smiles flirtatiously at the trooper.

"Alright then, everything seems to be ok here, and remember, if you get tired, pull over.  We wouldn't want you to have an accident this late at night," he says totally charmed by Liz's engaging grin.

"Oh we will sir," says Kyle as he trooper walks back to his vehicle.  As he climbs in and starts the motor Liz runs over to him.

"Oh Officer," she shouts, and he rolls down the window.  She leans into the window with one hand on the roof near the vehicle's safety lights.  Kyle sees a soft green glow come from her hand.  "I just wanted to say thank you very much for checking on us.  It's so nice to know that there are people like you who care."

"Just doing my job miss," replies the embarrassed state trooper.  "You and your friends drive safely.

"Oh we will, and you please do the same," she says giving him a wide smile.

The state trooper pulls out after giving them a friendly wave and Liz walks back towards Kyle.

"What the hell was that performance about?" he asks Liz.  "Have you forgotten you're a married woman now?  And what's with using your powers in front of a cop?"

"Kyle, relax, he didn't see me, I kept him distracted, and while I was smiling oh so sweetly at him, I attached the transmitter to the light bar on his vehicle.   Let him be tailed for a while."

"Damn Liz, you are good," he says as the two walk back to Maria.  "So you had a transmitter on you and so did Michael.  I wonder if Isabelle and Max did too?"

"I don't think so Kyle.  I'm guessing Jesse knew you guys were in Boston with him, and I'm also betting he knew we may split up, but we wouldn't split up completely.  He had one transmitter placed with each "pair" of us," Liz replies as she opens the door and climbs in next to Maria.

"Maria, honey, it's me Liz.  Maria, are you ok?"

"Where's Michael," she cries.  "Where am I?"

"Maria, relax, tell me your name."

"I'm not Maria.  I'm Mariah Carey," says the other girl looking at Liz suspiciously.

"Ah Liz, I'm guessing she doesn't recognize you or remember what you looked like this afternoon," says Kyle.

"You're probably right," says Liz as she passes a hand over her hair and face.  Within a matter of seconds, Liz looks like herself again.  When Maria sees this, she collapses into Liz's arms crying.  Kyle gets into the car and the take off down the road as Liz fills Maria in on what's happened.

"You mean the shop exploded?"

"Yeah, and you were knocked out.  Well we all were, but you took the longest to recover.  I guess you head isn't as hard as we always thought it was," says Liz with a small laugh.

"And Michael's going to meet us?  You promise me he's ok?"

"Maria, I promise you.  I spoke to him a couple of hours ago, and he was fine.  In fact, he'll probably be calling soon to check on you."

"I don't want to wait for that, gimme your cell phone."

Liz hands the phone over to her friend and watches while she punches in a code.  Maria lets the phone ring twice and hangs up.  Calls, let's it ring twice and hangs up again.  Within 5 minutes the phone rings and Maria answers it.

"Space Boy?"

_Maria, is that you?_

"What, you have other girls who call you Space Boy?" she quips

 Maria, I'm so glad you are all right, listen, I can't talk, but stick with Liz and Kyle, and we'll all meet up at the rendezvous spot.  I should be there by tomorrow afternoon.

"Michael thinks he'll make it there by tomorrow afternoon," says Maria to the others.  "What about us."

"Right about the same time," estimates Kyle.

"We should be there then too Space Boy. I love you."

_I love you to Maria_, says Michael right before he disconnects the call.  Maria passes the phone back to Liz and leans back against the seat smiling.

"Hey Liz," says Kyle looking into the backseat through the rear view mirror.  "Do you think you can take over for a while?  I'm wiped, and I want to try and contact Isabelle.  She must be frantic by now.  I was just reaching out to here when the building exploded, and I haven't had a chance to try again since then."

"Sure Kyle, pull off at the next exit, and we'll grab something to eat and I'll take over from there."

Taking the next off ramp, they pull into a crowed truck stop and head in to get some food.  After eating, they return back to the car, with Liz behind the wheel.  Starting the car, she eases back onto the highway, and towards her husband and their new destiny.


	22. chapter 22

Part 22 

Max manages to get a distraught Isabelle to leave the theme park.  He feels safe in assuming that they won't be meeting up with Liz and Kyle tonight.  _Or maybe anytime soon_, he thinks to himself.  Once they get to their car, the two head to a small hotel a few miles away from the theme park.  Once they are settled in their room, Max asks Isabelle to explain again the connection she and Kyle have, and how it all came about.

"Well, I think we were living in Somerville, which is just outside of Boston when Kyle's powers started to appear.  He wasn't as freaked as Liz, because he knew it was going to happen.  She had no clue, but he learned from her experiences and didn't freak quite as much.  One night, he was watching a Patriots game on television.  Something happened, and he yelled and threw his hands and started shouting at the television.  But the television wasn't there anymore, he had blown it up."

Max smiles at the image, while Isabelle continues her story.

"Needless to say, Kyle being Kyle, he was more upset about missing the end of the game then anything else.  He wanted to practice, and develop his powers, but we were in such a crowded city, that finding empty space where we wouldn't be observed was next to impossible.  Kyle decided that his studies of Buddha would be very helpful.  He would have me explain how to do something, and he would go over it again and again in his mind, and meditate on the techniques." 

"One night, I had a really bad headache, and he just wouldn't shut up.  I could hear him over an over again, 'focus the power and direct it through your hand.' I yelled at him to shut up.  Max, he was so confused, because he hadn't said anything.  I knew he had, because I heard him….as clear as day, I heard him, but he kept insisting that I was nuts.  I walked out of the room, and I heard him say, 'She must be pms-ing.'  I stormed right back in there and got in his face about his chauvinistic comment.  Max the look on his face was almost comical.  He kept denying it left and right.  Finally he said he was thinking it, but he hadn't said it.  The next thing I knew, there I was staring right at his face.  He was asking me if I wanted to go grab a pizza, but Max, his mouth wasn't moving."

"Ever since then, we've been able to communicate that way.  I can't initiate a conversation, only he can do that, but once he does, we are able to carry on a full conversation without speaking.  We were working on finding out how far away we could be from each other and have it work.  One time, he got as far as Albany New York, and we could still communicate.  But neither one of us were comfortable with being apart for that long, so we didn't try any to go any further." 

 Isabelle stopped and drew a shaky breath.  Working to keep her emotions under control, she continued.  "Tonight, Kyle was just starting to contact me, when I heard him scream, and then there was nothing.  Max, I'm so scared, something happened, and I don't know what it is."

"I know Isabelle, I'm scared too, but we can't panic now, that won't do anything.  We need to focus and concentrate.  Do you think you can try dream walking Kyle or Liz?"

"I'd need a picture Max, and I don't have any.  I left them all back in Roswell."

"I have some," Max admitted sheepishly.  Fishing in his bag, he pulls out what looks like a bookmark.  Passing his hand over it, Max changes the bookmark into a strip of pictures taken from a photo booth.  Isabelle takes the strip from him and looks at the photos.

"Oh Max, they're from your wedding."  After the ceremony, the teens had stopped at a pizza place to eat and plan.  Next to the restaurant was an arcade with an old photo booth.  Isabelle smiles as she remembers insisting that their wedding deserved to be documented.  There was one snap of Max and Liz alone, one of Max and Liz with Michael and Maria, and one of them with Kyle and Isabelle.

"Ok, I'll try it," she says as she goes to lie down on the bed.  Isabelle forces herself to calm down and relax.  She takes several deep breaths and closes her eyes.  Just as she is preparing to enter the dream plane, she hears a voice in her head.  Max watches as she smiles widely.  Her lips start moving, but he can't hear what she is saying.  After five minutes, she jumps up off of the bed and hugs him and begins to dance around the room.

"He's ok, he's ok, both of them are ok.  That was Kyle; they are here, in California.  And they have Maria with them."  
  
"What, what about Michael?  Where is he?" demands Max.  

"Relax Max, he's in California too.  Kyle says we are going to follow through with the plan and meet where you intended.  We can make plans from there.  But Max, you should know.  Liz has some crazy idea about going back to Roswell," says Isabelle with concern in her voice.

"Good," said Max.  "That's my plan too."


	23. chapter 23

**Part 23**

Diane pulls the car up in front of Madam Vivienne's house, and turns to the others.

"Why are we doing this again?"

"Because Madam Vivienne wanted to see us, and after everything we've been through, we can't afford to ignore anything," said Amy.

"Well, then let's head in and get this over with," said Nancy as she opens the car door. 

The three ladies walk up the stairs and enter the front door to Madam Vivienne's house.

"Hello," shouts out Amy. "Madam Vivienne, are you hear?"

"Great, she's not here," says Diane, clearly uncomfortable with her surroundings.  "Let's just go to lunch."

"Hello ladies," says Madam Vivienne as she enters the room.  "Thank you all very much for joining me here.  I realize my request is very odd, but I have some information that may be of interest to you.  Please won't you all sit down?" she asks motioning toward the over stuffed sofa.

"I'm sorry Madam Vivienne," says Diane.  "But I don't see how you could really have anything to tell us.  I'm not sure I even believe in all this hocus pocus mumbo jumbo."

"That's fine, Mrs. Evans.  You don't have to believe.  I'm not asking you to do that, I'm simply going to ask you to listen to what I have to say."

"How did you know my name?"

"Well, I could try and play you and say the spirits told me, but I won't.  It's simple really.  I know Amy and Nancy from going to the small business owner meetings.  I've seen your husband there as well.  It was common sense really," she said simply.

"Oh," said Diane a bit deflated.  She had been pepared for some 'the spirits told me message.'

"Madam Vivienne, what is it you wanted to tell us?" questions Nancy.

"Well, I had a dream last night and your daughter Maria was in it," she said nodding to Amy.  "And she was with that handsome young man of hers.  I'm so glad he finally figured out that love makes us stronger.  Anyhow, the dream wasn't anything in particular, but when I woke up, I couldn't shake the image of those two.  So I sat down to do a tarot card reading.  After I saw the cards, I knew I had to let you know."

"Let us know what Madam Vivienne?" asks Amy.  "So far, you haven't told us anything yet.

"I'm getting to that, I'm getting to that.  First, I want you to realize that what the cards tell me isn't carved in stone.  The future is ever changing, and any one event can change the outcome.  Do you understand that?"

The three ladies nod to show that they understand, and Madam Vivienne removes a silken cloth that is covering her coffee table.  Underneath the cloth, there are tarot cards laid out in what looks like a nonsensical arrangement to the three ladies.

"This is the reading I did after I had that dream," says Madam Vivienne.  "The first card I pulled was The Chariot.  That means there are travels and journeys coming.  Then I pulled The Tower.  This is a card of destruction.  Look at this card, the tower is collapsing.  Basically the you know what is hitting the fan.  Are you with me so far?"

The ladies nod while exchanging worried glances with each other.

"Ok, the next card I pulled was The Moon.  That one means be careful; some one is stabbing you in the back.  You should watch out for deceit from within.  Someone you thought was close to you is really trying to hurt you.  Then, and this is really strange, I pulled 3 kings.  The King of Wands, The King of Cups and the King of Pentacles.  To me this is symbolizing that three very strong men are working together, they are caring men and want to help.  Does this make sense to you?"

"Yes, yes it does," says Amy, thinking of Jim, Philip and Geoff.  "We know who the three kings are."

"Ok, now next to the King of Cups, I have Death, but before you get all freaked out, death doesn't necessarily mean death, but change and transformation…moving on to a new level.  Then I pulled the three corresponding queens to go with my kings.  I'm guessing that's you three, but I could be wrong."

"No, your not wrong," murmurs Diane looking at the cards.  The Three queens even resemble the three of them.  "This is so eerie."

"Ok, next we have the 7 of wands and the 5 of wands, both of which are cards of battle, fighting, and struggling.  Next we have the 10 of swords, which I'm taking to mean this battle is going to have casualties of some type."

The woman exchange nervous glances and ask Madam Vivienne to continue.

"Ok, next we have The Wheel of Fortune, which tells me that things are happening in a cycle…what was bad will soon become good.  Next to that we have Justice, and the World.  What that's telling me is that justice will be served, and those that deserve to be victorious will be victorious.  Are you all still with me?"

"Well, yes, I guess so," says Amy, "But I don't see what this has to do with us, really."

"Well, here's the thing.  I wanted you to see this, and then I wanted to do a reading while you are here if that's acceptable to you."

The women agree and Madam Vivienne gathers up the cards and shuffles them carefully.  

"Now, I'd like the three of you to each shuffle the deck.  When you are done, please give it back to me."

Diane shuffles the cards and passes them to Amy, who shuffles and passes them to Nancy.  After Nancy shuffles the cards, Madam Vivienne takes the deck and spreads them face down out on the table.

"Now I want each of you to draw one card and lay it face up," says Madam Vivienne.  

Nancy pulls the first card.

 "Page of Pentacles," she says placing the card down.

"Very interesting, a dark haired person of intellect," comments Madam Vivienne.

"Liz," breathes Nancy.

Amy pulls the next card and places the Page of Cups next to the Page of Pentacles.

"A young woman of strong emotions, I'm thinking that's your Maria," says Madam Vivienne.

Nervously, Diane pulls a card and it's the Page of Wands.  

"A person who is very dedicated to those she cares about, someone who is faithful and caring."

"Isabelle," says Diane with a sob.

"Now each of you pull one more card and place it next to the first," commands Madam Vivienne.

The three women pull the Knight of Pentacles, the Knight of Swords and the Knight of Cups respectively.

"Now, we have a Warrior Statesman here," says Madam Vivienne pointing to the Knight of Pentacles, "A pure Warrior here, see how he's charging in with his Sword drawn.  And our third Knight is someone who is reflective and introspective, but isn't going to back down from a fight."

"Max, Michael and Kyle," says Nancy quietly.  "Madam Vivienne, what else do you see?"

Madam Vivienne takes the deck and pulls several more cards.

"Hm, the Moon again…deceit and danger from someone close.  The Chariot, travel, and the 6 of Cups.  That's strange…it's a card of looking back to happier times.  It's a card of childhood memories and places."

"Did you say childhood places?" asks Diane fearfully.

"Yes, I did.  Why?"

"Oh no, Jim was right," says Amy with a look of horror, intermingled with fear on her face.  "They're coming home."


	24. chapter 24

Part 24 

An exhausted Liz pulls the car into the almost deserted Disney Land parking lot.  It's several hours before sunrise, and the park isn't scheduled to open for another several hours.  In the back seat, Maria and Kyle are sleeping.  Liz had woken Maria up every hour on the hour for the past 6 hours to make sure there were no lingering effects from the explosion.  Liz grabs a soda, and opens the last bag of chips, and settles in to wait.  She is exhausted, but she isn't going to doze off and leave the others undefended.

"I wish I had gotten the alien ability to not need a lot of sleep," she says through a muffled yawn.  She rests her head against the window and tries to chew as quietly as possible.  The salty taste of the chips burnt her tongue slightly, and she washes away the taste with a sip of soda.  As she drinks her soda, she becomes aware of an approaching vehicle.  She quickly puts the soda and chips down, and puts her hand on the ignition.  As the vehicle gets closer, she sees that it's a motorcycle.  The driver circles the parking lot several times, getting a little closer with each pass.  Liz opens the car door and steps out, with one arm raised.  The rider stops the bike and pulls off his helmet.

"Liz? It's me."

Liz lowers her arm and crosses the parking lot smiling.  

"Will you keep it down Michael, they're asleep in there."

"Yeah, well you should be to.  Jesus, you look like hell Parker."

"Well, I wasn't going to leave us unprotected," she replied simply.

Once again, Michael is astounded at the lengths the woman in front of him will take to protect those she loves.

"Well, I'm not tired, so why don't you get in the car, and I'll sit watch for a while."

"I won't say no to that.  Do you want something to drink, I have a cherry coke in the car, and I bet you I can find a bottle of Tabasco sauce somewhere in there too."

"Well, _I_ won't say no to something to drink.  How's Maria doing Liz?  Is she ok, really?"

"She's fine Michael.  I woke her up every hour on our way down here, and she could do the name, age, president thing, so I figured she was all set.  She's been asleep for about 3 hours now.  Kyle did most of the driving, and he's wiped out, so I let him sleep as well."

Michael climbs in behind the steering wheel, while Liz slides in on the passenger side.  Liz dozes for a little while, but is unable to relax enough to get any real sleep.  Finally, she gives up and grabs the chips out of Michael's hands and begins to munch nervously.

"Are you going to give me back my Ruffles?" asks Michael in a dangerous voice, "Or do I have to blow you up?"

"Do your worst you alien freak," she laughs. "I can blow you up right back."

"Oh yeah," says Michael in defeat.  "Well, will you at least **share** the chips then?"

Liz passes him the bag, and they both eat in silence for a while.  Finally, Michael turns to Liz.

"Ok, spill it Liz.  What's eating you?"

"I'm sick of this whole thing Michael.  None of us have had a chance for a normal life, and look at poor Isabelle.  The one person she is supposed to be able to trust with her life is looking like he is her biggest enemy.  None of us should have to put up with that, and I decided that I'm not going to anymore.  I'm sick of running."

"So what are you going to do, give up and turn yourself in?" questions the man next to her.

"No, I'm taking back my life.  I'm going back to Roswell."

"Liz, you are nuts, come on, think this through, you can't."

"She means it Guerin," says a weary voice from the back seat.  "She's determined to 'take back the night,' or whatever and get herself killed in the process."

Kyle sat up, careful not to disturb Maria, who was still sleeping deeply.

"God, she sure can hog up all the available space," he says stretching.  "You have my sympathies," Kyle adds, nodding at Michael.

"Thanks, just don't ever let Maria hear you say that," says Michael.

"I heard, I heard, Jesus, how is anybody supposed to get any sleep around here?" grouses Maria as she sits up.  "Come here Space Boy and give me a hug," she adds, leaning over Kyle to get to Michael.

"Geez Maria, watch out will you," says Kyle as he puts his hands over his crotch reflexively.  "There may come a day when I actually need that you know."

"Look," says Liz. "I bet we're all hungry, and the park doesn't open for 3 more hours.  So, unless one of you knows some trick to stretch half a bag of chips, and half a soda," she pauses as she sniffs the can, "loaded with Tabasco sauce between the four of us, I think we should go get some food."

The other three agree with Liz, and Michael starts the car and pulls out of the parking lot.


	25. chapter 25

Part 25 

"Hey Space Boy, pull in over there, that place looks pretty good," says Maria from the passenger seat.

"Maria, it's a dive, a hole in the wall," snaps Michael.

"Exactly, those are the places with the best food, now pull in."

Michael obligingly pulls into an empty parking space, and the four exit the car and survey the scene before entering the diner.

"It looks ok to me," says Kyle.

"You're hungry Kyle, _anything_ would look good to you right about now," says Liz.

"Look, if we're gonna eat, lets do it.  This place is too much like Mayberry for me," says Michael.

Liz opens the door to the diner, and looks around.  The place seems to be doing a booming business, except for the fact that there was nobody working.  They walk across the sun filled room towards the man working the register.

"Hi, can we have a table for 4 please?" she asks the elderly man.

"'Jes grab a seat anywhere," he says motioning with his hand.  "Don't know how long it will be though, my grill man didn't show up today, and my waitress jest up and quit this morning.  Said the work was too hard.  You youngsters today don't know what hard work is.  Me an Nellie been running this diner every day for the past fifty years."

Liz looks at the others, an idea forming in her mind.  She looks at the man behind the register.  "Where's Nellie today?" she asks softly.

"Why, she'd be working right now, if the doctor didn't tell her to stay in bed.  She's been feeling a bit tired lately."  
  


"Well, I'll tell you what, Mr.?" Paused questioningly.

"Zeke, Zeke Mosley," says the man.

"Well Mr. Mosley, today is your lucky day," Liz says grabbing two aprons and order pads from behind the counter.  She passes one to Maria, and the two girls start taking orders.

Michael sighs, and heads out to the grill and grabs a spatula.  Kyle looks around helplessly, unsure of how he can help.

"Don't just stand there like a statue Buddha Boy," says Maria as she walks past him on her way to the pick up window.  "These table won't bus themselves."

"Hm, what?  Oh yeah, right," he says as he starts to clear tables.

As the morning progresses, the crowded restaurant starts to quiet down, and the kids take the opportunity to sit at the counter and eat while talking with Mr. Mosley.  As they eat, he tells them stories about the diner, and his beloved Nellie."

"So, what exactly did the doctors say Zeke?"

"Well, they say it's cancer, but I don't believe em.  My Nellie is too strong a woman to be taken down by any disease.  What do those doctors know anyhow?  Nellies going to be just fine.  She has to be," he added brokenly.

Listening to the story, Kyle is touched by how much love this man beside him has for his wife.  Jumping up of the stool, he turns to the others.  "I'll be right back," he says walking out of the restaurant.

"So, tell me, why would a bunch of kids like you wanna help an old man like me?" asks Zeke.

"We like to help," says Liz with a smile.  "Unfortunately, we can't stay, in fact, we'll need to be on our way shortly.  Are you going to be able to manage ok without us?"

"Yep, my daughter and her husband offered to help, but they were out of town when Nellie took sick.  When I told them what happened, they offered to cut their trip short, but I wouldn't hear of it.  But they should be here tomorrow."

Liz is about to respond, when the screen door of the diner opens and slams shut.  Kyle walks back into the restaurant, a look of panic on his face.

"Our company is here again," he whispers to the others.

"Damn it, how do they keep finding us?" says Michael as they prepare to exit out the back of the restaurant.

"You kids in trouble?" asks Zeke

"Um, kind of," answers Maria.

"Did you do anything wrong?"

"No, not really," says Liz

"You jest set yourselves right back down, and don't worry about anything then."

Michael looks out the screen door, and sees the two FBI agents he saw outside his bike shop walking into a store across the street.  A young couple walk up to the restaurant and wait for Michael to move so they can enter.  The young woman enters first, she has long flowing black hair, which she is wearing in a casual windswept style.  As she passes the others, she looks at Kyle and winks.

They take a seat, and Liz walks over to take their order.  "May I help you?" she asks.

"We'll have to cokes, and order of fries, and a bottle of Tabasco sauce," the blond man answers.

Liz quickly covers her mouth with her hand to contain the scream that wants to burst out.

"How did you know we are here?  Wait, you have to leave, the FBI is in town.  They've been trailing us some how."

"We know their here, Liz, don't worry.  I'm never going to be separated from you again."

"Kyle let us know you were here.  We were just turning down the street when he let us know about the FBI agents.  We actually stayed in a hotel just around the corner from here," adds Isabelle.  "And he's right," she nods at Max.  "We can't get split up again.  We need to stick together."

"Come over to the counter, I want you both to meet someone," she says.  The three walk over to the counter.  Max and Isabelle sit down, and Liz introduces them to Zeke. 

"Hey Zeke," she says softly.  "I was kind of thinking, you haven't been over to see Nellie all day.  Why don't you let our friends, Steve and Barbie here drive you over to take a peak and make sure she's ok."

Isabelle shot Liz a look that clearly said she was going to take care of her later for the Barbie thing.  "Please, won't you Zeke?  We would really like to meet her, and maybe there's something we can do to help."

Zeke looks cautiously at them; beginning to wonder if letting these kids help him was a good idea.

"Zeke, remember what I said about wanting to help?" Liz asks.  "Well, please, that's all we want to do, I promise."

Zeke didn't know why, but something about these kids made him want to trust them.  He haltingly agrees to their plan.  "But we ain't gotta drive none, it's just across the back alley."

Maria and Michael quickly pack up some food for Nellie, and Max carries it as they walk across the alley to the small house.  Zeke enters first, and holds the door for the others to join him inside.

"Nellie's sleeping in there," he says, pointing to a closed door off of the small living room.  

Looking around, Isabelle can see that the small home is immaculate.  She takes the package of food from Max and turns to Zeke.

"Why don't you take me to the kitchen, and we'll get a tray fixed up for Nellie."

As the two walk to the kitchen, Isabelle thinks about the relationship the two have.  _That's how it's supposed to be_, she muses to herself.  _Loving each other for all time, not turning traitor at the first sign of trouble._

"Now tell me Zeke, does Nellie have any dishes she saves for special occasions?"

"Yep, we have us a nice set of china," he says proudly.  "Got it for her as a wedding present.  But what would you want that for?  We only use it on special occasions."

"Well Zeke, I like to think that every day is a special occasion, and some days are even more special than others.  Maybe today will be one of those days," she says with a smile.

Isabelle quickly fixes a tray, and picks it up as Max walks into the kitchen.  

"Everything ok Steve?" she asks.

"Everything is perfect, just perfect," Max says flashing a Tom Cruise grin.

"Zeke, why don't you bring this into Nellie, and we'll just head back to the diner," says Isabelle.  She leans over and places a kiss on his cheek and grabs Max by the arm.

"Come on Steve, let's give them some privacy."

"Sure thing _Barbie,_ whatever you say," he says as the two walk through the living room and across the alley.

As soon as they were outside, Isabelle turns to Max.

"Great, so now we're going to have some 70 year old woman running around with alien powers?"

"No, Liz and I figured that out a while ago.  She and Kyle, and probably Valenti got powers because I was really emotionally vested in healing them.  With strangers, I'm able to hold back a bit, and for some reason, the healing process is different.  There are fewer flashes, there isn't always a handprint, and we have never heard about anybody developing super powers after I healed them."

They enter the restaurant through the back door and walk right into Michael's open arms.

"Maxwell, it's been too long.  I was wrong, this splitting up was not a good idea."

"No Michael, we need to, it kept us safer longer, but now we have to start fighting back."

"Oh God, you've been talking to your wife, haven't you?  She has some lame idea about going back to Roswell."

"She's right, it's the only way," said Max as he grabbed a fry from the warming tray.  "We have to put an end to this.  We haven't done anything wrong, and we're not going to run anymore.  We have to take a stand, and we have to do it now, before it's too late."


	26. chapter 26

Part 26 

The teens made quick work of the lunch crowd.  After the last straggler pulled out, they pulled two tables together to begin making plans.  

"Every time we turn around, the FBI is on our backs," says Liz.  "I found a transmitter in my backpack, and one in Maria's as well.  We managed to get rid of those, and we searched everything we own.  We don't have any transmitters on us, yet there they are again," she points to the FBI agents who are conducting a store to store search, looking for them.

"Well, whatever kind of transmitters they're using, they can't be that great if they aren't giving them a precise location," says Max.

"Well, the question is, how are they tailing us then?" asks Isabelle as she twists her wedding ring and engagement rings nervously.  "Max and I went through all of our stuff as well before we got to town last night, and there wasn't anything resembling a transmitter."

"Yes there is," says Liz softly.  "Right there," she points to the rings Isabelle is twisting.  "Jesse gave them back to you right before we left, didn't he?"

"Yes, but he didn't have time to…"

"Yeah, he did Isabelle.  He had time to get us that first fan, remember?  A transmitter fitted into a ring was probably a piece of cake."

"No, no, I refuse to believe it," says Isabelle.  But even as she insists it couldn't have happened, deep in her heart, she knows it's true.  She stands up from the table and walks towards the restrooms.

Once inside the ladies room, Isabelle makes a decision, and removes the rings from her finger.  Walking over to the toilet, she drops the rings in and flushes them down the drain.

"Good bye Jesse," she whispers and walks back out to the others.

As Isabelle is returning from the restaurant, two FBI agents are entering through the front door.

"Stevie honey?" she shouts across the room in a honeyed southern accent.  "Where these nice people able to give you directions?  I swear, I just had to argue with him so much to stop and ask for directions after we got lost.  Men are just so silly about asking for help."

"We're all set now sweetie, in fact, as soon as our order is ready, we can head out and take you to Hollywood so you can be discovered," says Max as he walks across the room and puts his arm around Isabelle lovingly.

"Excuse me, I'm Agent Feltcher with the FBI," the man flashes his identification quickly.  "Is Zeke Mosley, the owner, around anywhere?"

"Ah actually he's," begins Kyle

"Right here Sir, now what can I get you.  My nephew Frankie her is a wiz on the grill," says Zeke pointing at Michael.  "Jenny," he says patting Liz on the shoulder.  "Why don't you show this nice Agent man to a table."?

"No, I'm fine thank you Mr. Mosley.  You say that's your nephew?"

"Both them boys are, Frankie's on the grill today, and Bobby here is working the register for me.  They're my great nephews actually, ain't that right boys."

"Sure is, Pops," says Michael as he steps into the kitchen.  "Hey Kerri," he yells looking at Maria.  "Can you give me a hand with this please."

Maria steps into the kitchen and goes over to Michael

"I just wanted you nearby if this all blows up in our faces," he whispers to her

"Well, it's not going to," a voice from behind them says.

The two twist around to see who managed to sneak up on them.  Standing behind them is a woman in her 70's wearing a faded pair of jeans, sneakers and a sweatshirt that says 'Grandma's Know Best' on it.

"Don't worry, Zeke 'n I will take care of everything," she said bustling out of the kitchen and into the dining area.

"Ah sir, we're looking for some people, and we had a lead that they may have been seen here in town.  Have you seen any of the people in these pictures," said Feltcher, showing Zeke pictures of Liz, Isabelle, Michael and Max.

Zeke took the pictures and studied them intently, and passed them to Nellie, who had come to stand beside him.

"Well know, I think I may have seen em," says Zeke.  "They do something wrong?"  
  
"I'm not at liberty to divulge that information sir," says Agent Feltcher.  "But it's safe to safe that they are very dangerous, and they are wanted for a variety of crimes in another state."

"Nellie, is these them kids that was in here today?" Zeke asks his wife.

"I think you are right Zeke," says Nellie.  Liz shoots panicked glances at the others as Nellie motions to her.  "Jenny, come here dear."

Liz walks over to her and Nellie puts her arm around her shoulder and gives a slight squeeze.  "Isn't this the group that was in first thing this morning.  You remember, the ones you said left a lousy tip for you after sending their food back twice?"

Liz takes the pictures and glances at them.  "You know what Grammy Nell, I think you're right, only they sent their food back 3 times."  Liz rolls her eyes as she passes the pictures back to Agent Feltcher.

"Did they say where they were heading?" questions Agent Feltcher anxiously.

"No, I'm sorry, not to me," said Liz.  

"Bobby, how about you, did you hear anything?"

"No Grammy Nell," responds Kyle.  "I didn't, but you know me in the morning. I'm pretty much out of it until noon."

"You youngsters should learn to keep your yaps shut and your ears open," says Zeke.  "I heard them plain as day mapping out a route to Canada.  Don't they teach you how to pay attention in school any more?  Why I swear…."

"Yes, well, that's fine, and thank you very much.  You've been very helpful," interrupts Agent Feltcher as he takes the pictures back.  "If you remember any more, or see them again, please call this number," he says handing them a business card.  "Thank you very much."

The others watch as Feltcher walks out the door to his partner who is waiting outside.  The two talk for a minute and get into a car and take off down the street.  After several minutes, Michael comes back out from the kitchen, as Maria enters the restaurant from the front door.

"Maria, what were you doing out there?" asks Max

"Eavesdropping, of course," she said matter of factly.  "They bought it.  I heard them call someone named Dr. Henderson and report that you were all on your way to Canada.

"Great," said Max.  "Let's get out of here."

"Now hold on there jest one cotton picken minute," said Zeke sharply.  "I think you owe us an explanation.  He walked over to the door, and locked it as well as the heavy glass door that usually stood open.  Flipping the open sign to closed, he turns to the kids.  "Let's have it."

Listen, Zeke, we didn't do anything to hurt anybody, despite what that FBI guy said," says Liz.

"Well hell missy.  I know that.  Anyone can see you are good people, but why are they after you, and what did you do to my Nellie to make her feel so chipper?"

"Well, you see Zeke, we can't tell you very much because that would put you in danger, and we don't want that," began Max.  "But making Nellie feel better is one of special things we can do.  We're a little bit different, and they," he said pointing in the direction the FBI took, "don't like different very much at all."

"You're telling me that because you can help people, they want to lock you up.  Boy, with a gift like that you'd think they'd do anything they can to befriend you."

"Yeah," said Max with a sad smile.  "You'd kind of think that."  "Anyhow, it's very important that you never let anybody know you saw us, for your safety as well as ours.

"Pshaw kids, don't you worry about that at all," said Nellie.  "Where are you headed to next?"

"We can't tell you that Nellie, but I can promise you, it isn't Canada," says Liz with a laugh.  

"Well, before you leave, you all are going to eat your fill, and I'm going to pack you some food for the road as well," said Nellie.

"That is so nice of you," said Maria.  "Let me help you get stuff together.  Hey Frankie, get that grill fired up."

The others burst out laughing and sat down and began to make plans for their homecoming.  In the kitchen, Zeke and Nellie, Michael and Maria cooked up a feast as well as assembled foods for them to take with them.

Liz walks up to Zeke while Isabelle Kyle and Max continue to plan.

"Zeke, can we ask one more favor of you, please?"

"Sure thing Jenny?  I know Jenny's not your real name, but maybe someday, Nellie 'n me will get a card in the mail from Jenny, and we'll know you are all right.  Now what can an old man like me do for you."

"Well, I'm going to dial a number on my cell phone, and when someone picks up, could you just read this to him?"

Zeke scans the note and begins to laugh.  "Well there Jenny, if this is secret code, it works, cause it makes no sense to me."

"Will you do it?"

"Sure thing sweetie," said Zeke.  You youngsters stayed here and helped me when you should have been running, and you gave me back my Nellie.  I'll do whatever I can to help you."

Liz hugs him quickly and then dials a number on her cell phone.  After she makes sure the call has gone through she passes the phone to Zeke who reads from the paper in his hand.

"Ah Hi, I'd like to order 6 cherry cokes, 3 with Tabasco sauce, 3 with out, 4 orders of fries, and 2 Alien Lime Pies.  That will be for pick up please.  No, I can't tell you anything more than that, goodbye."  He quickly passes the phone to Liz who puts here ear to the receiver to hear her father shouting "Hello, hello, are you still there."  With tears in her eyes, she disconnects the call.

"Ok everyone," she shouts, "it's done.  We need to move."

All conversation stops, and without a word, the others begin to mobilize to move out.

"Jest one more minute you youngsters?  How are you planning on getting to where it is you are going?"

"Well, we have two cars," said Max.

"And a motorcycle," added Kyle.

"Well, how about, you all come here with me for a minute."  He motions for them to follow him out of the restaurant.  They follow him across the alleyway and to a garage situated next to their house.  Parked inside was an old, slightly rusted motor home.

"I know it's big, but this way, you can all stay together," said Zeke.

"And it runs great, even if it isn't much to look at," adds Nellie

The six kids look at one another in silent communication and agreement.

"Look, we don't want to put you in any more danger," began Liz.

"Don't worry about it, this is the most excitement we've had in years, and we were going to be getting a new motor home anyhow, so we won't even miss this one," replies Nellie.

"Then we'd love to," said Liz.

They make quick work loading up the motor home with all the food Nellie had prepared for them.  Max asks them to dispose of the cars in any way they want, and Kyle begs them to store his motorcycle for him.  Just before they are ready to take off, Nellie and Zeke bring them back into the restaurant for a goodbye meal.  After they are done eating, Zeke picks up the phone and places a call.

"Hello, I'd like to speak with an Agent Feltcher please.  Yes, I'll hold." He waits while the call is patched through to Feltcher's cell phone.  "Hello, Agent Feltcher, this is Zeke Mosley.  You were in my restaurant today asking 'bout them kids today.  Well, they came back looking for a bag they left.  We didn't have no bag, but Nellie and me, we stalled them as long as we could.  They were rude as can be, but I kept my ears open like I was telling young Bobby he should do.  Agent Feltcher, those kids said something about heading to South America.  I jest thought you'd wanna know.  Yes sir, I'll keep my eyes open in case they show up again, but I don't think they will.  They were in one of them mini van things and it was packed to the gill, and they headed out towards the boarder.  Yes sir, and thank you sir."

"There," said Zeke.  "You kids should be all set, I think he fell for it.  He sounded so excited, I thought he was gonna piss in his pants."

"Zeke," says Nellie as she swats his arm playfully.  "Now you kids take care and watch out," she says as she hugs each on in turn.  Pausing at Max, she gives him and extra special hug.  "Thank you for saving me," she whispers, and take care of Jenny, she's a special girl."

Max hugs her back, and climbs behind the wheel of the motor home, and the 6 teens set of on the journey back to Roswell.


	27. chapter 27

Part 27 

Geoff Parker hangs up the phone, and turns to Nancy, his face ashen.  "Jim was right," he whispers in her ear.  "They're coming home.  Call the others, we need to get together."

"Geoff, honey, how can you be sure it was them, did you recognize a voice?"

"No, the person on the phone sounded like an old man, but I swear, I heard Max in the background talking.  Besides, nobody in the world is going to phone in an order of 6 cherry cokes, 3 with Tabasco, 3 without.  It has to be them, Nance, it has to be."

"Ok, I'll start making some calls.  Where are we going to meet?" Nancy asks as she slips her arms around his waist and holds him close to her. After a moment, she releases her husband.

"Geoff, we need a place to meet, any suggestions."

"Yeah, right here at the restaurant, after we close for the night."  
  
"Oh Geoff, I don't know, what if this place is bugged, they'll here everything we say."

"I'm counting on it," says Geoff as he heads into his office.   He sits behind his desk, and begins to make notes on 3 legal pads, one for him and Nancy, one for Philip and Diane, and the third for Jim and Amy.  Fear has made him very cautions.  He ignores the computer sitting in front of him, and instead writes down everything by hand.

On the phone, Nancy calls Amy and Diane, to invite them to a small potluck at the restaurant after it closes.  Though both women were perplexed by the idea of meeting at the CrashDown, they both agreed.

Later that evening, after the restaurant closes, Geoff gets everything ready, legal pads, maps, pencils, and a large radio.

Nancy is left to make it look like they really are having a get together and arranges several tables together for them to eat at, and sets up some food on the counter.  A rapping on the glass alerts her to the fact that Jim and Amy are outside, and she walks over and unlocks the door of the café.

"Hi Jim, Hi Amy, thanks for joining us on such short notice.  We just felt so bad about everything that's been going on with Sean, so we wanted to try and take your mind off of it for a while," babbles Nancy.

Amy leans over to hug her and whispers in her ear "real smooth Parker."

Nancy hugs her friend back and under her breath says, "I'm not cut out for all this subterfuge, what can I say."

The two ladies burst out laughing as Philip and Diane Evans come to the door as well.

"Are you going to keep our guests standing at the door Nancy," chides Geoff good-naturedly.  "Come in and relax, tonight is about good music and good fun.  Jim, you brought your guitar, excellent.  We can serenade these three beautiful ladies tonight while Philip here looks on in envy.

Geoff plays his role of host to the hilt, taking jackets from people and getting drinks.  As soon as everyone is sitting down with some food and drinks, he turns up the radio, very loudly, and passes out the legal pads to the other couples.  On the first page of each pad he has scribbled the cryptic message he received on the phone today.  They alternately talked and scribbled messages to each other throughout the evening.

**how can we plan if we don't know when they are coming**?  Philip scribbles on his pad as Jim and Nancy dance to the music playing on the radio.

**We have no choice, have to try.  Need safe place for the to stay**, scribbles Geoff on his pad

"Nancy," Diane says over the music, motioning to Jim to come sit down.  "Do you have that recipe for those meatballs you were telling me about?"

Jim sits down with the others as Nancy says in a clear voice, "Oh, sure, no problem, I have it written down already for you.  Here you go," she says passing Diane an old receipt from the register.  Jim grabs a pencil and writesOld cabins out by lake?

**Perfec**t, writes Philip.  **can you take care of it, or me**?

**I'll do it**, writes Jim. **Geoff – food**.

**already packed**. Geoff writes.  He looks up to the windows and sees a face peering in the mirror.  Getting up and crossing the floor, he goes to the door and opens it.  On the other side, is one of the FBI agents who has been haunting the restaurant every day.

"I'm sorry, we're closed for a private party tonight," he says pleasantly to the man.

"No chance of one Alien blast to go?" asks the agent in a wheedling voice.

Geoff turns to look at the others, it looks as though he is seeking their approval to help a customer, but he is really checking to see if Jim and Philip have hidden all their notes.  Seeing that everything is out of site, he opens the door and invites the man in.

"Sure, an alien blast won't take long to whip up.  Can I get you anything else?"

"No, that will be fine, says the agent as he survey's the room quickly.  "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your party," he says innocently.  "A happy celebration?"

"Actually, I'm having problems with a nephew," said Amy, "And my wonderful friends are just helping me to keep my mind off of it."

"Great, and here I just went and brought it all back to the forefront.  I'm sorry," says the man as Geoff hands him his Alien Blast.

"Don't worry about it," says Amy ruefully.  "Sean has been in trouble before, and will probably continue to get in trouble until the day he dies."

The agent pays for his drink, and Geoff escorts him to the door.  After he leaves, Geoff locks the door and watches as the agent walks into the darkness.

The agent dumps the drink into the nearest trash receptacle, and uses his cell phone to check in.

"They check out, Dr. Henderson," says the agent.  "Just having a little party.  I even managed to get in and take a look around.  Nothing suspicious.  I'll check back with you if I think anything has changed."  He disconnects his cell phone, unaware that he has just been handed a basket of red herrings.


	28. chapter 28

Part 28 

The motor home rolls towards Roswell, Kyle is driving, and Michael is riding shotgun.  Max and the others are asleep in the back.  As they draw closer to their destination, Kyle drives slower and slower.

"Have I mentioned how much I happen to **hate** this particular idea?" he asks Michael.

"Only about a million times since we crossed over the New Mexico state line," answers Michael.

"Well, I just want to make sure we're clear on the subject!"

"I don't like it much either Valenti, but Max and Liz are right.  We can't keep running forever.  We don't have the resources to do that.  Maria should get the chance to pursue the music career she's always dreamed of.  I don't want her giving that up because of me."

"Look, I said I hated the idea, not that I disagreed with it," says Kyle.  "You are right, we all have so much to live for, if we can just find a way out of this mess.  The way I see it, by coming back, we're going to do that.  We're either going to get the FBI off our backs forever, or we're going to end up dead.  Either way, our problems are solved."

Michael looks at Kyle in astonishment.  "Jesus Valenti, you're making me look like a freaking cheer leader here."

"What, I don't think there's any point in being unrealistic.  Chances are, one, or all of us are going to end up dead.  I just don't see where we have any choice."

Unable to come up with an answer to that, Michael stares out the passenger window into the never-ending darkness of the desert.  The flashing lights of a police vehicle coming up behind them draw his attention.

"Uh hey, enlightened one, I think you are about to get pulled over," he says.

"Shit, shit, shit," swears Kyle.  "Why are we getting pulled over?  I wasn't speeding?"

"Maybe the fact you were driving slower than someone's grandma has something to do with it!" says Michael.

Kyle eases the motor home over to the side of the road and rolls down the window, and gets his license out. 

"Yes officer, what seems to be the problem?" he asks, turning his head to look at the officer, only to realize it's his dad.  Deciding to have a little bit of fun, he surreptitiously waves his hand over his ID to change the name.

"Well, you have a broken tail light, sir.  I'm afraid I'll have to give you a ticket for that.  It is a violation.  My I see your license and registration please?"

Kyle passes him the license.

"Thank you very much Mr.," Jim pauses to look at the license, stops and looks again.  "Mr. Wallbanger.  Sir, may I see your license as well?" he asks Michael.

Michael figures out what Kyle is up to and quickly changes the name on his license as well before passing it to Jim Valenti.

"Ok," says Jim, reaching out to take the license.  "Thank you very much, uh Dr. Love.  I'll be right back," he says as he walks back to his patrol vehicle.

"Do you think he got it?" whispers Michael.

"I know he did, he was so pissed after our trip to Las Vegas, remember.  He confiscated all our ID's.  It took him about a month to calm down enough to laugh at the names you gave us," Kyle whispers back.

Jim exits his patrol vehicle and comes back up to the motor home.

"I'm just going to let you off with a warning, Mr. Wallbanger, but please get that light taken care of right away," Jim says as he passes back the ID's, a scrap of paper, and a key.  I hope you enjoy your vacation, where are you headed anyhow?"

"Well, were pretty much on our way home," says Kyle, reaching out to squeeze his father's hand.

"Well, you all drive safe, then, and have a nice trip," says Jim as he backs away from the motor home and heads back to his own car.

Kyle starts the RV, and pulls out on to the road.  He passes Michael the paper and the key. 

"What's it say?"

"It's directions to those old cabins out by the lake.  I guess the key is to one of the cabins.  Let's go check it out," says Michael.

"Go wake the others, and let them know we're home," Kyle says as he follows the directions on his father's note.  "It's time to end this once and for all."


	29. chapter 29

Part 29 

"What do you mean you saw your dad?" Maria shouts.  "Why didn't you wake us up?  He could have told us about _our_ parents!"

"Um, Maria, we're supposed to be slipping quietly into town here," says Michael.  "I think a family reunion out here in the middle of the night may have drawn just a bit more attention than we want."

"Besides, it's not like I actually got to talk with him.  He slipped us this note and key, that's all," snaps Kyle.  He is stressed enough at sneaking back into town, but seeing his father has made it that much harder for him.

Isabelle sees that Kyle is about to lay into Maria for all he is worth.  Deciding that now is a good time to avoid an unpleasant confrontation, she whispers into Maria's ear, and the two girls move to the back of the motor home.  Once they are settled in the back Isabelle turns to Maria.

"Look, I know you want to see your mother Maria.  We all want to see our parents, and we're all really freaked about everything that's going on.  But now is not the time for one of our famous in-group squabbles.  We need to stay focused on what we're doing."  
  
"Yeah, but what are we really doing?  Setting ourselves up to die?  Not my ideal way to spend a day," says Maria.

"I know," agrees Isabelle.  "It's not what I want either, but I guess we don't have a choice anymore.  We have to end this so we can get on with our lives."

"Isabelle, about Jesse?" Maria begins tentatively.

"I don't want to talk about him ever again," says the taller girl resolutely.  "And if I ever see him again, I will destroy him."

Maria stars in shock at the anger in the other girl's voice. Isabelle gets up and climbs up into the overhead sleeping compartment and lies with her back to Maria, signaling an end to their conversation.

"Yep, I got that hint," says Maria softly as she makes her way to the front of the vehicle.

Kyle makes a left turn onto a bumpy dirt track.  A faded sign proclaims their arrival at the "Lake Haven Camp Ground and Cabins, The Hidden Jewel of Roswell."

"So, are we supposed to check in, or what?" asks Max, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  Liz leans up against him, safe in the arms of her husband.  He absentmindedly presses a kiss down on the top of her head while he waits for an answer from Kyle.

"Well, the note my dad gave me just said to come here and it had a cabin number on it, I think.  I couldn't see it to well last night, it was dark."

Michael pulls the crumpled note out of his pocket and scans it quickly.  Underneath the crudely drawn map is a scribbled message.

"What the hell does this say," he says as he strains to read the message.  Jesus Valenti, your father writes worse than I do."

Kyle grabs the note from Michael and squints at it in the early morning light.

"It says we're all checked in.  He wrote it in a kind of shorthand that he uses.  He kind of forgets about vowels when he's writing something down in a hurry," Kyle laughs.

"Well, why don't we get to the cabin, get a few more hours sleep, and then grab some food.  The stuff Zeke and Nellie gave us is about gone anyhow," says Max.

"Max, I don't know," replies Liz.  "Do you really think we should head into town already?"

"I don't know anything anymore," says Max rubbing his forehead wearily.  "But I do know, I'm not letting you out of my site again. I was miserable while we were separated.  I was so afraid something had happened to you."

"Relax Max, I was fine.  Kyle and I took good care of each other."

"I know, and I will be eternally grateful that he was able to contact you.  And meeting up with Michael the way you did was a stroke of pure dumb luck."

"All that matters now is that we're all together," says Liz.  "Nothing is going split us up again."

Kyle stops the motor home in front of cabin number 22, which is set back in a grove of trees, and hidden from view.

"After we unload, why don't we put this land ark behind the cabin," Michael suggests  "Keep it out of sight."

"Good thinking Michael," says Max.  "Come on, lets check out the accommodations."  

He stops and laughs softly to himself while the others look at him like he's losing his mind.

"Did you ever think our parents would willingly allow all of us to sleep in a cabin together," he says as he starts to laugh a bit hysterically.

One by one, the others begin to laugh at the irony of the situation.  Finally, they are able to collect themselves enough to grab their belongings.  Kyle inserts the key into the lock and opens the door, and they walk through the door.  The living and cooking areas of the cabin consist of one large space.  There is a door leading to a bathroom.  Max opens another door to reveal a miniscule bedroom.  A ladder leads up to a loft where there are two more sleeping areas.  Boxes of non-perishable foods are sitting on the counters in the kitchen area.  Maria runs to the refrigerator and opens it and pulls out two pies.  

"I love our parents, do you know what these are?" she shouts.  "A Men in Blackberry Pi and an Alien Lime Pie."

Isabelle brushes past the others and begins to unpack the boxes of food and put things away.  Everyone can tell how upset she is by the fact that she has already begun cleaning and rearranging things.  She is slamming canned goods around when she finds a package addressed to the "Czechoslovakian Embassy."  She begins to laugh. Tears stream from her eyes as the others look on, concerned about her behavior.  She passes the package to Maria and Liz who are standing next to her.  Seeing what's on the label, the too begin to laugh, but it's tinged with sadness because for them, Czechoslovakian and Alex will be forever linked in their minds.

Liz opens the large envelope.  Inside of it are smaller envelopes for each of them.

"There from our parents," she says excitedly, recognizing the writing on her envelope.  She passes an envelope to Kyle, and one to Maria, and two to Max and Isabelle.  She steps closer to Michael, who glares at her and says, "Don't bother.  We all know I don't have anyone who would write to me anyhow?"

"Oh really," she says as she raises an eyebrow.  "Then I wonder who wrote these?" She passes him 3 envelopes, and walks away to give Michael some privacy.


	30. chapter 30

**Part 30**

Diane Evans puts the last platter on the table and is just about to urge Philip to eat when the ringing doorbell interrupts her.

"I'll get it sweetie, you start eating," she says as she walks out of the kitchen and into the living room.  Before she opens the door, she looks through the peephole and sees Jesse standing on the door stoop.  They had discussed the possibility of him showing up again, in fact, they expected him to show up, but Diane was still shaken to see him standing there.  Taking a deep breath, she opens the door with a smile.

"Jesse," she cries hugging him.  "It's so wonderful to see you.  When did you get back into town?  Come in, come in.  Philip's in the kitchen.  We were just about to eat.  Are you hungry?  Of course you are, come and have something to eat."

As Diane leads Jesse into the house, she is aware that she s babbling, but she isn't able to stop herself.

"Philip," she calls. "Look who it is, Jesse's here." By now, they are standing in the Evans' living room.  Diane turns to her son-in-law and smiles at him.  "How long can you stay Jesse?  We've missed you so much," she says hugging him again.

Jesse laughs and flashes an engaging grin.  "It's great to be back Diane.  Actually, I wanted some advice from Philip about a case I'm working on, so I decided to combine business with pleasure and come home and see you."

The two continue walking into the kitchen where Philip is talking on a cell phone.

"Hang on a minute," he says into the phone.  "Steve, my son-in-law Jesse just walked in, can I get back to you on that?  Great, I'll talk to you later."

Philip disconnects his call to Jim Valenti and walks across the room to shake hands with Jesse.

"Hey stranger, what brings you back to town?  Jesse, have you heard from Isabelle, is that why you're here?"

"No Philip," replies Jesse with a look of sorrow on his face.  "Isabelle hasn't contacted me since they left.  The last time I saw her is when I gave her back her wedding and engagement rings.  I'm here for several reasons, the first being; I've missed you and Diane.  I also need some advice for a case I'm working on."

"Jesse, sit down, can I get you something to eat?" Diane interrupts.  "And where are your bags?  Surely your staying with us while you're here?"

"Actually, I'll be staying with my mother.  As you know, she didn't take my moving back to Boston very well.  I figure if I spend some time with her, it will help."

"Jesse, you are such a good son, to your mother and to us," said Diane.  "I'm so glad we still have you."

"I feel bad that I interrupted your meal," says Jesse.  "Philip, will it be ok if I stop by your office tomorrow?  Say around 10:00?"

"Sure Jesse, that will be great, but are you sure you don't want to stay and have something to eat?" asks Philip.

"No, really, I have to be going.  I'll see you tomorrow."  He stands up and shakes Philip's hand and presses a kiss to Diane's cheek.  "I'm sure we'll hear from Isabelle some time," he says as Philip prepares to walk him to the door.  "Have faith, she loves all of us too much to never contact us again."

"I hope you are right Jesse," says Philip as he follows him to the front door.  "Give your mother our love, and I'll see you in the morning."

Jesse steps outside and walks down the street.  Once he is out of site of the Evans house, he takes out his cell phone.

"Henderson? Yeah, it's Ramirez.  I made contact with the parents.  They assumed I as there because I heard from Isabelle.  No, they haven't made contact with any of them.  Of course I'm sure.  These people are so gullible.  They never knew what was going on until it smacked them in the face.  No, they have no idea of who I really am, and they won't until right before they die.  Yeah, I'll take with you later."

Jesse ends the call and continues walking down the street, whistling a cheerful tune.


	31. chapter 31

Part 31 

Liz takes her letters and climbs up into the loft.  It's stuffy, and slightly dusty room.  Before she opens her letter, she opens a small window at the end of the room, allowing a small breeze to enter the loft area.  Next, Liz straightens the bed and removes the bandana in her hair to dust the furniture.  She realizes that she is just delaying the inevitable.  She's afraid to read the letter.  What if her parents don't want her back?  What if they decide it isn't worth the risks to let her back into their lives?  Liz stiffens her shoulders and opens the envelope

_Darling Daughter,_

_We love you and miss you so much, but it isn't safe for you here.  We got your fax, and your other message saying you were coming back, but you mustn't.  There are agents all over town.  They are following our movements.  We want to urge you to go back on the road and get as far away from Roswell as you possibly can.  We will do whatever we can to help you._

_Please Liz, don't come into town, it isn't safe.  We'll get in touch with you somehow.  We wish you had been able to tell us everything that happened to you, but we understand that it wasn't your secret to share.    
  
Please tell Max that we will never be able to thank him enough for saving you, our precious daughter.  Take care of each other and stay safe._

_Love _

_Mom and Dad_

Liz places the letter on the bed beside her and just sits staring out the window.  Max climbs up the ladder and walks across the room and sits next to her on the bed.  He puts his arm around her.

"What did they say?" he asks.

Wordlessly, she hands him the letter.  When he is reading, he hugs her closer.

"Liz, honey, what's wrong then?"  "They understand, and they're not angry, so what is it?"

"Oh Max, I was so afraid they wouldn't want me to come back, that they would be angry about everything that happened.  But their not, they still love me.

"That's what you were afraid of?" Max asks incredulously.  "That they wouldn't want you?  Liz, how could you think that?  Your parents love you, and they always will.  You're their daughter."  
  
"Well, you didn't want to tell your parents about you," she says.  "You were afraid of what they would think, and that they wouldn't love you, right?"  
  
"Liz, that was different, you know that."

"Yeah, tell me Max, how was it different?"

"We couldn't tell them about us for their own safety.  You know that."

"Right, and my parents could have told me they wanted me to stay away for the same reason."

"Liz, they'd never do that."

"Right, just like your parents would never turn their backs on you and would do anything to protect you, but you couldn't believe it until you were forced to tell them."

Max opens his mouth to argue, but stops', realizing that she is right.

"Well, now we both know just how great our parent are," he laughs.  "Do you want to read my letter?"

"You don't mind?" she asks.

"Liz, you're my wife.  I love you, I've shared all my secrets with you, and I'm certainly not about to keep one letter from you.  Come on, sit back here with me.

Max arranges the pillows on the bed up against the headboard.  He scoots back against the pillows and holds his arms open to his wife.  Liz crawls up next to him and snuggles into the safe embrace of his arms and opens his letter and begins to read.

_Dear Max,_

_We love you son, never again doubt our question our love for you and your sister.  We have worried about you so much since you left us.  We know why you had to go, but that didn't make it any easier for us to lose you.  You told us your secrets, but even then, you tried so hard to protect us.  You still kept so much from us.  But Geoff Parker shared Liz's journal with all of us.  You have gone through so much dear Max, and kept so much of yourself a secret from us.  We want you to realize that you never have to do that.  We are your parents, and we love you unconditionally.  Nothing will ever change that.  You don't have to go through this alone.  You have Liz, Isabelle, Michael, Kyle and Maria by your side.  But never forget that you also have us, and we would willing die to protect you, our son._

_We love you,_

_Mom and Dad_

Liz lowers the letter and turns to Max but the strain of the past few weeks has caught up with him, and he is asleep.  She lays her head on his chest, safe and protected in the circle of his arms, and closes her eyes.

Isabelle climbs up the stairs to the loft, looking for her brother and sister-in-law.  Seeing them on the bed, she is about to call out when she realizes they are asleep.  She quietly opens a closet door and finds a blanket and covers the sleeping couple and climbs back down the stairs.

"Weren't the up there?" asks Kyle

"They fell asleep in each others arms," says Isabelle softly.  "Even asleep, Max is holding her and protecting her."  She looks wistfully up at the loft.  Kyle steps up to her and wraps his arms around her.

"Isabelle, I know you're hurting, and you feel betrayed.  I'm your friend, I always have been, and I always will be.  Don't ever forget that."

"Thanks Kyle, that helps, more than you realize," she whispers as she presses a soft kiss on his cheek.  "Did you read your letter?"

"No, not yet," he admits.

"Why not?"

"I wanted to make sure you were ok," he says simply.

"You know what Kyle," Isabelle says as she steps out of his embrace.  "I think I'm going to be just fine.  Now lets go read our letters."


	32. chapter 32

**part 32**

_Dear Kyle,_

_You know me, and you know I'm not a man to show my emotions, but I've missed you Son, more than you will ever know.  I always thought the worst day of my life was the day you got shot, and Max healed you, but I was wrong.  The day you and the others drove out of town was by far the worst day I have ever experienced.  I had to stand there and watch you leave, because I could no longer do my job as a father and protect you.  It killed me to let you leave Kyle.  The only reason I could stand there and let you go is because I know the others would lay down their lives for you, as you would for them._

_Be safe Kyle, you know I'll support you and the others with whatever you decide.  Don't take any undue risks.  Stay away from town.  I'll come to you.  There are agents all over the place.  We got your warning about Jesse, and you're right, it's looking like he sold all of us out.  I'll be in touch Son,_

_Love,_

_Dad_

Kyle finishes his letter and runs his hand through his hair.  

"I think I'll start fixing dinner," he says as he walks across the room to the kitchen area.  Pulling out a large pot, he fills it with water and places it on the stove to heat for pasta.  Rummaging through the food their parents had left for them, until he finds the jar of spaghetti sauce he had seen earlier.  As he works, his gaze keeps straying towards Isabelle who is reading her letter.  As he watches, she takes the letter and folds it up and places it neatly back in its envelope.  She doesn't say anything, but instead, joins Kyle in the kitchen area and begins to rearrange the items in the cabinet.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asks as he rescues the jar of sauce from her grasp.

"Yes, no, I, oh I don't know Kyle," she cries helplessly.

"You don't know if you want to talk about it?" he asks in confusion.

"Oh, here, just read if for yourself," she says passing him the envelope and storming out of the house.

"Man," Kyle says out loud in an absentminded voice as he opens the envelope.  "She really needs to cut down on her caffeine.  Unfolding the letter, he begins to read.

_Dearest Isabelle,_

_How we wish we could be with you now, or better still, have you here with us.  Keeping your secret for so many years must have been so hard for you.  We wish you could have shared it with us sooner, but understand why you could not. _

_But you dear child have an even larger burden you are dealing with, learning that your husband has betrayed you.  Know that the fault lies with him, and not with you.  Isabelle you are a wonderful and courageous woman, and you will find the love that you deserve to have._

_Darling long to see you, but it isn't safe for you to come to town.  We beg you to sit tight, and we will contact you somehow.  You and Max are so important to us Isabelle, and we will help you however we can._

_We love you Isabelle,_

_Mom and Dad_

Sighing, Kyle folds the letter up and places it neatly back in the envelope.  Turning back towards the stove, he notices that the water is boiling.  Tossing the letter on the counter, he adds the pasta to the water and begins to stir.

A sleepy Max and Liz descend from the loft and walk into the kitchen.  

"Hey Kyle, since when can you cook?" Liz questions through an extremely large yawn.

"Since I decided that starving was not my ideal way to die.  Did you guys get enough sleep?"

"Yeah, thanks, want us to take over dinner so you can get some rest?" asks Max.

"Nah, I'm all set," says Kyle turning back to the stove to stir the pasta.

"Where is everybody Kyle?" Liz asks.

"Isabelle took off outside," he answers.  "And Michael and Maria are in the bedroom.  I haven't heard from them since you gave us those letters.  Hey, did you read yours?"

Both Max and Liz nod and Liz says, "Yeah, did you?"

"Both Iz and I did, and she gave me hers to read.  It really got to her."

"Well, what did it say?" Max asks in what the others call his 'King' voice.

"Get real Max, Isabelle's my friend.  I'm not going to betray a confidence!"

"It's ok Kyle," says Isabelle as she opens the door and walks back into the house.  "They can read it.  There is no room for secrets in our lives right now."

"Are you ok Isabelle?" questions Liz

"No, not really, but I will be, because I have a great brother and sister-in-law and 3 wonderful friends to help me," says the older girl with a small smile.

Liz gives Isabelle a brief hug and the two begin to locate dishes and set the table.  Max quickly puts together a salad from the fixings their parents brought while Kyle drains the pasta.  In a few minutes, they have dinner on the table.

"Do you think we should get them?" asks Kyle pointing to the still closed bedroom door.

"I'll just knock and see what happens," says Liz, rising and walking across the room.  She pauses at the door and raises her hand to knock.

She knocks softly and whispers "Michael, Maria, dinner's ready."

There is a soft scuffle behind the door and it opens a crack and Maria sticks her head out.

"Thanks Liz, we'll be out in a bit, don't wait for us."

"Is everything ok in there?"

Maria tosses a concerned glance over her shoulder and then looks back at Liz.

"Yeah, Space Boy's just a bit, um, overwhelmed at the outpouring of love and support he got from our parents.

Smiling to show her understanding, Liz backs away from the door as Maria closes it softly.  She walks back to the table and sits down.

"Mr. Guerin and Ms. DeLuca won't be joining us for dinner," she says in a formal voice.  "They've requested that we begin without them.  Now somebody pass the salad please."

The other three laugh and they begin to talk and eat.  

"Can somebody pass the," begins Isabelle, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.


	33. chapter 33

Part 33 

"Look Michael, much as I love you, we cannot stay locked in this tiny bedroom forever.  The Alien Lime is out there," Maria says half jokingly and half exasperated.  "Look Space Boy, you just need to accept the fact that people love you and care about you.  What's so bad about that?"

"Maria, did you _read_ those letters?  I can't believe what they said.  Look, why don't you go eat, I just want to be alone for a while," Michael says lying down on the bed with his back to her.

"Ok Space Boy," she says leaning over to kiss him.  "Just remember, I love you."

Maria leaves the tiny bedroom and joins the others at the table.

"How's he doing?" asks Max.

"Not to good," says Maria reaching for the pasta.  "I think the outpouring of love and acceptance was too much for his system to handle.  Maybe you should go and talk to him Max.  Hey, this is good, who made it?"

Kyle explains that he was the chef of the day while Max rises from the table and walks across the room.  Knocking on the door, he waits a moment and then enters the room.

"Michael, you alright?"

"Get out Maxwell, I want to be alone."

"Right," says Max.  "And there's the problem Michael.  You have people who love and care about you, and you don't know how to deal with it."

Wordlessly, Michael rolls over and passes Max three letters.  Max takes the top one, which is also the thickest and begins to read.

_Dear Michael,_

_You have always been like one of our own.  We love you just as much as we do Max and Isabelle, but we've failed you son.  We should have seen what was going on with Hank much sooner than we did.  By the time we realized what was going on, it was too late.  You no longer trusted us, or any other adults.  We can't change the past, but we can do something about it now.  _

_We've enclosed some paperwork that we filed on your behalf.  If it's something you agree with Michael, please get the papers back to us somehow, we'll take it from there._

_Michael, we know in your other life, you were a general, and a warrior.  You don't have to fight alone anymore.  You have Max and Isabelle and the others, and you have us Michael.  _

_Love,_

_Mom and Dad_

Max was silent as he looked at the other papers that were with the letter.  Skimming them, he realizes that it is a petition to adopt Michael, and change his name to Michael Guerin-Evans.

"Michael, this is great," says Max.   "Isabelle and I always felt you were our brother.  Legalities don't matter, but this is kind of cool."

"Read the other ones," says Michael's voice, muffled by the pillow he has his face buried in.

_Dear Michael,_

_Thank you Michael for watching over my daughter!  She loves you so much, and so do I.  You are so important to both of us.  I was so afraid when Maria left, and the only thing that kept me sane was knowing she was with you, and that you had each other._

_Michael, if and when the time comes that you and Maria are able to come home, know that you will always have a home with me.  You will always be welcomed in my home, as you are in my heart._

_Love_

_Amy_

A second paper was attached to Amy's letter and Max silently read that one as well.

_Dear Michael,_

_I know you and I haven't always seen eye to eye, especially at first.  You are a strong man Michael Guerin, and I am proud to call you my friend.  I've watched you grow and change these last few years.  I've seen you change from an arrogant boy with a chip on his shoulder to a strong resourceful man.  I'm as proud of you as I am of Kyle.  You have both grown into men a father can be proud of.  You will always have a place in our home Michael, if ever you need it._

_Jim_

"Michael, I don't get it, what's so bad about all of this?" asks Max. "It's a lot to absorb, but you should be happy, not upset about this.

"You don't get it, do you Maxwell," says Michael angrily as he rolls over on the bed.  "All my life, I've had to fight for everything, and I mean everything.  Suddenly, I have all these people offering me everything I've ever wanted.  I don't know how to cope with that.  Did you read all those letters yet?  Your parents want to adopt me, Valenti, and Maria's mom both want me to move in with them, and so do the Parkers.  I don't know how to cope with that!"

"Well, I missed the one from the Parker's" says Max with a grin.  "So would that make you my brother as well as my brother-in-law?"

"Asshole," says Michael, taking a playful swing at Max.

"Jack ass," quips Max as he dodges the swing.

The two begin to scuffle and spar playfully until they become aware of someone knocking on the front door of the cabin.


	34. chapter 34

**Part 34**

As one, Max and Michael run from the bedroom towards the front door of the cabin.  Across the room, Liz, Isabelle, and Kyle are facing the door with hands raised.  Maria looks at them, and at Max and Michael both poised to attack.

"This is so weird, what are you going to do, blast a pizza delivery boy?"

"Maria, we don't know who it is," says Michael.

She shoots him a 'no d'uh' look and walks to the door.

"No fooling space boy, and you're not going to know who it is until you open the door.  Maria opens the door, and finds one of the tow tuck drivers from the garage where Kyle used to work.

"Hi," can I help you?" she asks pleasantly.

"Hi," the kid stutters in a nervous voice.  "Sheriff Valenti asked us to tow your car back to you after we replaced the water pump ma'am.  If you could just sign this please, I'll unhitch the car and head back to town."  
  


Maria takes the paperwork he proffers and scans it quickly.  She makes note of the owners name and signs the same name in the space provided.  

"Here you go handsome, and thanks so much for all the extra trouble," she says shooting him a wink.

The boy blushes and begins to mumble, "No problem ma'am, thank you very much.  I'll just leave the keys in it if that's ok?"

"Sure thing, and you have a great day," Maria says as she closes the door on his back.

"Way to go guys," she says turning back to the others.  You really did almost blow up the delivery guy."

"Maria, you were great," said Liz.  "Lets face it we've become so used to mistrusting everybody and looking at everything with suspicion.  But we're home now, and we aren't alone anymore.  Now, we have a car.  Is anybody interested in taking a ride?"

"Liz, where do you want to take a ride to?" Max asks with a grin on his face.

"Oh, I'm not sure.  Maria, do you have any ideas?"

Maria pretends to think about it for a minute.  "Well, let me see.  I bet there is a really cute alien themed store that I could check out.  Michael, what about you?"

"Gee, I don't know, so many decisions, so many options.  Yeah, I think the alien themed store may be a good idea, but I'm also looking for a lawyer's office.  I have some paperwork I need to take care of.  Maxwell, would you or Isabelle know of any good lawyers in town?"

"I don't know, Isabelle, do you know of any lawyers in town?"

"I may," she muses.  "Kyle, what about you, is there anything in particular you want to do in town?"

"Well, I've always had a keen interest in law enforcement.  Do you think perhaps they'd give me a tour of the sheriff's office?"

At that, the group bursts out laughing.  The thought of Kyle with an interest in law enforcement was too absurd.  They make quick work of cleaning up the leftover food and changing their appearances.

"So, do you think my mom will recognize me as a redhead?" asks Maria.

"Maria, the way you changed your hairstyles and colors before we left, I think you mom would recognize you with a purple Mohawk," says Liz with a grin

"Let's go over the plan one more time," says Max.  "Don't do anything overt.  No running up and yelling mom and major hug fests.  No showing your real appearance, and above all, don't draw attention to yourselves."

"Jesus Max," says Isabelle.  "We know all this.  We have been living this whole adventure right along with you."

"I know, I know, I'm just nervous," he admits.

"We all are Max, now shut up, stop being king, and get out to the car," says Kyle as he pushes Max towards the door.

All laughter stops when they see the car Jim provided for them.  "A Buick Roadmaster station wagon," says Michael.  "This is a grandma car.  I can't ride in that."

"Well Space Boy, you can just hang out here.  I don't care what kind of car it is, as long as it takes me where I want to go," says Maria as she climbs into the back seat.  "Now shut up and get in, or go inside, but don't make me wait any longer.

Grumbling all the way, Michael climbs into the backseat and Maria snuggles up next to him. Isabelle climbs in next, and Kyle Max and Liz sit in the front.

"Next stop Roswell," says Max as he starts the car and takes off towards town.

After a short trip, they arrive in the heart of the city.  Max pulls the car into the municipal lot located behind city hall.  The group exits the car and look at each other in nervous anticipation.  The cool evening air envelopes them and they shiver as much from that as they do from their fear.

"Ok, we meet back here in two hours," says Max.

"Max, two hours, that isn't very much time," complains Isabelle.

"Two hours Isabelle, I know it's not very long, but if we can get rid of the special unit once and for all, we'll never have to leave again," says Max as he hugs his sister.

The group breaks up as Michael and Maria walk towards her mother's store.  Kyle walks off towards the sheriff's office; Max and Isabelle agree to walk Liz to the CrashDown before heading towards the residential area where their parents live.

Outside the restaurant, Liz takes a deep breath and puts her hand on the door, but doesn't push it open.

"We can come in with you if you want," says Max.  "You don't have to do this alone, you don't have to do anything alone.  I'll always be with you."

Isabelle rolls her eyes at the sentiment, but places a reassuring hand on Liz's arm.

"He's right, we're family now, let's go in together."

"Well," says Liz, peering inside the restaurant, since I see your parents sitting in a booth eating ice cream, I'm guessing your gonna want to come with me no matter what."

"Mom and dad are in there?" whispers Isabelle.  "Max, I'm scared."

"Don't be," her brother says.  "Mom and dad love us.  Come on, we can do this."

"That's right, we can do it together," says Liz as she pushes open the door of the restaurant.


	35. chapter 35

Part 35 

Max, Isabelle and Liz sit down in a booth, directly behind Max's parents, and eavesdrop shamelessly on their conversation.

"I don't know why Jim gave them a car to use," says Diane.  "We don't want them coming to town, it's too dangerous."

"Relax Honey.  According to Jim, all they have is that big RV they picked up somewhere.  The need something smaller in case they need to make a short trip somewhere.  They're not foolish kids, they aren't going to take any risks."

Max and Isabelle shoot guilty looks at each other and at Liz who whispers, "Relax, we know what we're doing."

"Look those stupid FBI agents are still here," says Diane  "Are they ever going to leave?"

"May I take your order?" asks the unfamiliar waitress.

"Yeah, can we have 2 large orders of fries," asks Max, "And I'll have a cherry coke."

"I'll have a tossed salad, with the honey mustard vinaigrette on the side, and a cherry coke as well please," adds Isabelle.

"I'll just have a coke," says Liz.  The waitress marks their orders on her pad and moves away.  In a matter of minutes, the waitress is back, placing their orders in front of them.   

"Anything else?" she asks, and in the same breathe, "No, great!"  She turns 

"Great," says Isabelle, what am I supposed to do with this salad dressing.  I can't eat it like this."

Liz whispers something to Max, and he turns around to his parent's booth.  "Excuse me, do you have any Tabasco sauce we can borrow?" he asks his mother.

"What, oh sure, here," says Diane as she passes the spicy condiment to her son.  Max and Isabelle load their sodas with the sauce and Isabelle also pours it into her salad dressing.  When they are done, Max taps his mother on the shoulder and hands it back.  As he does, he whispers "Thanks Mom," and turns back to his food.

Isabelle watches her mother's back stiffen as she realizes what Max said.  Diane turns in the booth and looks at the three of them, and Isabelle gives her mother a small wave and quickly looks down at her salad to hide the tears in her eyes.

"Philip, I'll be right back, I forgot I had something I needed to tell Nancy," Diane says in a tremulous voice.  She walks across the restaurant, and steps behind the counter, takes Nancy by the hand and pulls her out back.

"Nancy, sweetie, first promise me you'll stay calm, because I'm ready to scream, and one of us needs to be sane."

"Ok Diane, I promise, now what's wrong.  Is it Jesse again?"

"Look at the booth next to Philip and me.  The one with the 3 kids in it."

"Ok, I see them.  What's wrong, are they talking about skipping out without paying or something?"

"Nancy, that's Max and Isabelle, and I'm guessing the other girl is Liz."

Nancy's face turns white with shock as she looks out into the restaurant.  Composing herself, she walks back out into the restaurant and stops the waitress who served Liz and the others and asks her for their check.  She approaches the table and places the check face down.

"I understand there was some dissatisfaction with your meal tonight," she says in a quavering voice.  "We at the CrashDown care about our customers, so please accept the meal at no charge to yourselves."

Liz smiles at her mother in understanding.  "Thank you, that's very considerate of you," she says.  "Do um, do you have a restroom here?"

"Ah, yes, just through that door over there," says Nancy pointing towards the back storage area.  "We're remodeling the main restrooms, but please feel free to use the employee rest room."

"Thank you," says Liz as she stands up and starts across the floor.  "That's just through that door then?" she questions, one eye on the FBI agents.

"Yes, come on, I'll show you," says Nancy as soon as she is certain that the agents aren't paying any attention to them

"Actually, I think I'll join you," says Isabelle, rising from the table.

Behind him, Max hears his father laugh and say "What is it about these women having to do everything as a group?"

Max turns to his dad with a smile.  "I don't know, you'd think they were going of to discover an some strange unknown alien world or something."  
  
"So, are you kids new in town, or just passing through?" Philip asks.

"Well, actually, we're thinking of settling down here.  It looks like a nice place to live."

"Yeah it is," says Philip.  "It's a really nice place to raise a family."  "Hey Geoff, do you have a minute," he shouts across the restaurant.

"Sure Philip," says Geoff Parker as he comes over to the booth wiping his hands on a towel.  "Is anything wrong?"

"No, no, nothing at all, I was just talking to this young man here, and he was saying how he and his wife may be settling down here in Roswell.  Do you know if that apartment over on Beech is still available?"

"I'm not sure Philip, but I can probably find out," says a very puzzled and confused Geoff.

"Oh, excuse me, Geoff Parker this is," Philip pauses for a moment and then continues.  "I'm sorry _son_ I didn't catch your name."

Max looks at both men and sticks out his hand.  "I'm Alex, Alex Whitman, nice to meet you Mr. Parker."

"Nice to meet you Alex," says Geoff as he shakes Max's hand.  "I hope you chose to settle down in Roswell, it's a nice town.  I'll tell you what; I'll go make a phone call about that apartment for you.   He starts to head back toward the counter, stops and then turns around.  "What did you say your name was again?"

"Alex Whitman," Max says with a grin.

"Are you here alone Alex?"

"No, actually, my wife and sister are out back using the rest room.  I'm afraid I could be here all night waiting for them."

"Oh, well, you know how it is with those women when they get together," Geoff laughs hollowly.  "I'll just go make that phone call," he said as he hurried across the room.

Once out back, he pauses for a moment to make sure nobody had followed them.  He sees Diane Evans sitting on a dilapidated old sofa talking to a stunning brunette.

"Where?" he gasps and Diane points to the storeroom.  He pushes open the door, and a petite curly haired blond throws herself into his arms and whispers "Daddy."


	36. chapter 36

Part 36 

Kyle Valenti walks up the stairs of the Roswell Sheriff's department.  Outside the door, he pauses, takes a deep breath and pulls open the door.  Once inside, he looks around.  In the distance, he can hear the sounds of typing, and he steps confidently towards the sound.

"Can I help you?" a voice asks from behind.  Kyle turns around to find Sheriff Hanson standing behind him.

"Oh sure, great, Hi," he says.  "I'm actually looking for a friend of my dad's, he's a deputy here in Roswell.  My name is Jerry, Jerry McGuire."

"Well Jerry, who are you looking for?" asks Hanson.

"A Jim Valenti," answers Kyle.  "He and my dad are friends, they go way back, and since I was going to be passing through here, Dad asked if I could stop by and leave some stuff off with him."

"Well, Jerry, you are in luck.  Jim's on rounds, but his shift is just about over.  You can wait here if you like."

The last thing Kyle wants to do is spend time in _any_ law enforcement establishment, even if it is the Roswell Sheriff's Department.  "Well, I drove straight through dinner, and I am getting pretty hungry.  Is there any place around here to grab something to eat?" Kyle asks.

"As a matter of fact, Jim usually heads to the CrashDown for a bite to eat before he heads home.  If you want to head over there, I can tell him you're waiting for him," Hanson offers.

"That would be great," says Kyle.  "Is this place within walking distance?"

"Sure, it's just a couple of blocks down, on your left."

"Great, and thanks again, Sheriff," Kyle pauses and makes a big show of looking at the man's nametag.  "Hanson.  I appreciate all your help."

Kyle turns and heads back out the door and starts to walk towards the restaurant.  Knowing he has a few minutes to kill, he decides to walk over to Maria's mother's shop.  As Kyle walks, Jim pulls into the Sheriff's Department parking lot and goes in to log out for the night.  He makes quick work of his paperwork and heads toward the door.  He is exiting the building, when he hears Hanson calling his name.

"Yeah Hanson, what's up?" he asks.  

"Someone was here looking for you tonight, the son of a friend."

"Oh yeah," says Jim, looking unconcerned.  "What'd he say?"  

"Said his name was Jerry," Hanson pauses.

"McGuire," says Valenti, thinking of Kyle's favorite movie.

"Yeah, that's it.  Jerry McGuire.  Anyhow, he was hungry, so I sent him over to the CrashDown, and told him you'd meet him there."

"Thanks Hanson, I appreciate that," says Jim as he prepares to leave.  Stopping suddenly, he turns to Hanson.  "What does he look like?  I haven't seen this kid since he was like 10 years old."

"Nice looking kid, blond hair, kind of spiked, not too tall, broad shoulders.  Looks like he could have played football."

"Not football," Jim says softly.  "Wrestling.  Ok thanks Hanson, I'll see you later."  Jim exits the building, trying not to hurry, and makes his way to his vehicle and drives over to the CrashDown.  He walks inside, and looks around, but doesn't see anybody matching the description that Hanson gave him.  Philip and Diane Evans see him and wave him over to their booth, and invite him to join them.

"Sure, just for a minute though, I'm expecting someone," he says as he slides into the booth next to Diane.

"We thought you might be," says Philip, subtly motioning to the next booth.  Jim excuses himself on the pretext of saying hello to Geoff.  On his way back to the Evans' booth, he checks out the occupants in the booth behind them.  He meets the young man's eyes, and knows in an instant that it is Max.  Nodding imperceptibly, he sits back down and whispers "Max, Isabelle and Liz?"  Philip smiles and nods.  "Amy have company too?" he asks, and again Philip nods.

The bell over the door of the CrashDown rings and Kyle walks in.  He spies his father sitting with the Evans', and hesitates, unsure of how to approach him.  Jim however stands up and shouts, "Jerry, Jerry McGuire, your dad said you'd be coming through town.  Thanks for meeting me here."

Kyle approaches his dad cautiously, his eyes sliding over to see the two FBI agents sitting in the corner.  _Shit,_ he thinks to himself.  _Don't they teach those guys anything in agent school?  They are too obvious for words_.  Reaching his father, he sticks out his hand and says "Deputy Valenti, great to see you again.  My dad sent some pictures and things for you.  I have them out in my car.  I only have about an hour, before I head out to L.A., so if you want, we can go get them now."

"Sure, sure, that sounds great," Jim says clapping him on the shoulder as the two walk out of the restaurant.  "How's your mom doing?"

Once outside, they drop all pretenses, and Jim turns to Kyle as they walk down the street.

"You shouldn't have come to town," he says, fury in his voice.

"Yeah, but you knew we were going to, didn't you.  That's why you gave us the car."

"You're right, I suppose, but Jesus Kyle, did you know,"

"That there are to agents sitting in the corner booth at the CrashDown?" Kyle interrupts.  "Yeah, I saw them."

"Oh," says Jim, his anger deflected slightly.  As they walk, he notices a woman walking towards them.  As she draws closer, he sees that it's Amy DeLucca, and she is trying very hard to contain her excitement.  When she reaches them, she grabs Jim's hand and just grins uncontrollably.  

"Don't even say it," Jim says.  "I know exactly what you want to say!"

Amy finally notices the young man standing next to Jim and she reaches over and squeezes his hand too.  Kyle smiles at her and tells her that he stopped by the store, but when he saw what was going on, he figured they deserved some privacy.  Amy smiles gratefully and turns to Jim.

"Do you know where Philip is?" she asks.  I need to see him for a minute.

"He's over at the CrashDown," contributes Jim.

"Is it very crowded?"

"Well, there are 3 out of towners," Jim says meaningfully, "And a couple of regulars in the back booth."

"Great, thanks Jim," she says kissing him on the cheek, and smiling at Kyle before she walks off.

"Hmmm," says Kyle.  "I like the secret code you guys have worked up.  Now tell me, I got the out of towners, and the regulars in the back booth, but what exactly does the kiss signify."

"Shut up," Jim says as he playfully cuffs his son.  "Come on, your hour's about up.  I'll walk back to the car with you.   You may want to let the others know that you have had an addition to the blast em club."

"No shit, really?" Kyle says incredulously.  "That was quick.  I wonder why?"

"I don't know, I'm guessing that my age may have influenced the changing process.  Because I'm older, it happened faster."

"Well, hey, that's cool, like son, like father I guess," Kyle jokes.

Back at the CrashDown, Amy, is just opening the door, when 3 people walk out.  As they pass by, the smallest of the three takes her hand and squeezes it and smiles as she walks by.  A bemused Amy walks in and sits down with Philip and Diane.

"Hi everyone," she says.  "Philip, I'm sorry to bring this to you out of the office, but you said this paperwork was important.  It's that information you needed regarding Sean.  She passes the envelope full of papers to Philip, as Diane slips her a note she scribbled on a napkin.

_M,L,I just left_, she reads.  She reads it again, and realizes the woman who squeezed her hand was her daughter's best friend.  She smiles at Diane and glances over at Nancy who is wiping the same spot of counter over and over again.

"Philip," she says.  "Is that paperwork ok?  Does it have the information you want?"

"Yeah Amy," he says smiling.  "It has everything we need."  He slides the paperwork over to Diane and she sees that Michael has signed the paperwork allowing them to adopt him.  "I'd say this is just what we need."


	37. chapter 37

Part 37 

Kyle sits alone, on the hood of the car, waiting for the others to arrive.  As he waits, he goes over his meeting with his father.  Seeing his dad was great, but seeing that little kiss between his dad and Maria's mom, now **THAT **was really interesting.  It would be great if his dad really did hook up with Maria's mom.  He laughs out loud thinking of poor Amy, being married to a newbie alien, with a newbie alien stepson, and an alien hybrid for a son-in-law.

"What's so funny Jerry?" questions Max as he, Isabelle and Liz.

"Yeah Jerry, come on, 'Show me the money!'" laughs Isabelle as she leans against the hood of the car next to Kyle.

"Hey guys.  Did you get a chance to talk with your parents?"

"Get reamed by them is more like it," says Liz.  "I got the don't come into town again lecture in a big way."

"Yeah, me too," laughs Kyle.  "I guess they think we don't know how to play this game or something.  But hey, I think someone replaced our parents with aliens or something.  Dad was telling me about all the spy games they've been playing with the FBI.  Oh hey, and speaking of my Dad, guess what.  He has a case of the green glowies too!"

"Really?" asks Max.  "Already, that was pretty quick.  It took Liz over a year to do that astral projection thing she did, and even longer before her real powers showed up.  Damn, there is just so much we don't know about all of this.  He shouldn't have to deal with this alone."

"Max, relax," says Liz as she rubs his shoulders.  "He's not alone, he's got my parents and your parents."

"Yeah, and Maria's mom too," says Kyle.  He fills them in on the kiss, and they are all laughing at Amy playing mom to a houseful of aliens when Michael and Maria walk up.

"How did it go with your mom?" Liz asks as she hugs her friend.  "I saw her at the CrashDown when we were leaving, but I don't think she recognized me."

"Well, let's see, after she got done yelling at me for keeping the last few years a secret, she hugged Michael and told him how much she loved him.  Then she yelled at me for running away and not telling her where I was going.  Then she hugged Michael and told him he'd always have a home with her.  Then she yelled at me for coming to town and hugged Michael and thanked him for protecting me.  Pretty much it went like I'd expected it too.  Oh, and hey, Buddha Boy, my mom and your dad are dating."

"Yeah, I kind of got that impression when she kissed him over by the CrashDown."

"Look, let's get back to the cabin," says Max.  "My dad said that he's going fishing tomorrow with Kyle's dad and Liz's dad.  Their plan is to fish in shifts and try and meet with us and plan strategy at the same time."

They climb into the car, and head back towards town.  They make several detours to make sure they are not being followed.  When they are certain that they are safe, the head directly for the cabins as quickly as possible.

Back at the now closed CrashDown, Geoff, Jim and Philip are making plans for their fishing excursion.  Standing outside the restaurant, hidden in the shadows, Jesse looks in the window.  Moving further away from the restaurant to avoid detection, he takes out his cell phone.

"Dr. Henderson, this is Jesse.  I have news.  They are here, they came back to Roswell.  Yes, sir, I'm certain it was them.  I don't know where they are staying yet, but I will find out, I won't fail you."  He ends the call, and puts the phone away, takes one last look at the three men inside the restaurant, and walks way.


	38. chapter 38

**Part 38**

The early morning sun is peeking through the windows of the cabin.  Michael is slouched in a faded threadbare chair, watching an old black and white television.  Max climbs down from the ladder sits down on a faded old sofa.

"Michael, what are we watching?"

"Oh," says Michael, his eyes barely leaving the screen.  "SpongeBob."

"SpongeBob?  What the hell is SpongeBob?"

"SpongeBob SquarePants.  It's like it's a metaphor for our lives.  See SpongeBob is us, and Squidward is like the FBI Special Unit.  No matter how hard Squidward tries to come down on SpongeBob, and rain on his parade, SpongeBob just keeps going on and on."

"Rain on his parade?  Michael, they live in the ocean, their parade is perpetually rained upon."

"Maxwell," sighs Michael.  "Is there no poetry in your soul?  You are missing the true essence of SpongeBob.  You know, I just don't get why they all think you're the romantic one."

Max just shakes his head.  "Well, anyhow, can we continue the cartoon fest later on?  We really need to work on this plan some more.  It's good, and I think it will work, but there are a few weak areas."

Michael gives the television one last regretful look, and reaches to shut it off.  "Ok, what did you have in mind?"

A short time later, the two have maps and diagrams spread out on the table.  Liz climbs sleepily down the ladder and walks over to where Max and Michael are working.  She listens quietly as Max speaks.

"So we come around here, and take them down, but we still have to worry about any records they may have on us.  We have to find them."

"Why don't we tail the two have been staking out the CrashDown?"  offers Michael.  "It can't be too hard.  I mean obviously, they can't be all that brilliant if our parents managed to fool them."

Liz smiles at Michael's use of the words our parents.  Leave them to finish strategizing she walks over to the kitchen area and begins to prepare coffee.  As the coffee brews, she takes out a broiler pan and puts some bacon in the oven to cook.  On top of the stove, she begins to scramble eggs.  In a matter of minutes, she has breakfast ready for everyone.  Fixing three plates, she carries them over to Max and Michael.

"Mmm, that smells good," says a yawning Maria as she emerges from the downstairs bedroom she and Michael claimed.  "Is there anymore left?"

Liz points silently to the oven and continues to eat while she listens to Max and Michel.  Maria fixes herself a plate and sits next to Liz.

"Chica, is there any reason why you are playing the silent game today?"  

Liz just shakes her head and puts a finger to her lips signaling Maria to be quiet.  A few minutes later, Kyle and Isabelle emerge from the other bedroom up in the loft.  When they are downstairs, Maria goes to help them fix their plates.  She whispers to Kyle and Isabelle to keep quiet.

"Why?" whispers Isabelle.

"I don't know.  Liz just keeps shushing me and listening to Max and Michael.  It's weird. It's kind of like she's hypnotized or something.  Was there enough room upstairs for the two of you?" she asks as an afterthought.

"Yeah," says Kyle.  "There other room had two beds in it, so we were all set.  Actually, it worked out pretty good.  After being separated for so long, I didn't want to let Isabelle out of my sight again."

Liz looks over from where she is sitting and glares at them, silently indicating that they should all just shut up.

"I think we should blow it up," says Michael.  "Just get them all inside, and blow it up."

"Yeah, that will work, but we still have to worry about any leftover agents that may not be around," says Max.

"I'm telling you Max, it's our best chance.  Besides, if we can take out most of them, whoever is left is going to be to scared to come after us again."

"Michael, you do realize you are talking about the FBI, right?  They will keep coming and coming until the hunt us down.  I was wrong; we never should have come back here.  We just should have kept running."

"You are right about one thing Max, if it were the FBI, the would keep coming after us.  But you are wrong about everything else.  It isn't the FBI.  It hasn't been the FBI for a very long time I think," says Liz finally breaking her silence.

Everyone just stares at Liz, waiting to see what she'll say next.

"Well, who is it then, the CSI, the Air Force, what?  Come on Liz; don't clam up on us now.  Who is it?"

"Well, I think when Tess crashed, that was the government trying to track her down, but I was there when she went to the air force base.  She made sure they saw her before she blew everything up.  As far as they were concerned, they had their alien.  No, I think the people who have been tailing us ever since graduation work for Kivar.  Tess led them right to us."


	39. chapter 39

**Part 39**

"Maxwell, I think your Crystal Ball here is cracked.  Too much stress or something," Michael says.

"No, think about it, what she is saying makes sense," answers Kyle.  "These people that have been following us aren't exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer.  And while we all love our parents very much, lets be realistic.  There is no way in hell they could pull a fast one on the FBI."

"So what, do you think their skins then?" asks Michael as he stands up and begins to pace around the room.  "You think Tess mind warped us in to believing she destroyed all the skins?"

"No, I don't think so," says Liz thoughtfully.  "I never noticed any peeling of flaking skin, and I was pretty close to one of the agents a couple of different times."

"Yeah, so maybe he has some great moisturizer," says Maria.  "If there not skins, what can they be?"

"Well, remember how Kivar came down here the last time.  Right after Jesse and I got married?" questions Isabelle.  "Maybe they are doing the same thing.  Maybe that's what they did to Jesse.  Do you think that's possible?  Maybe he didn't really betray us at all," Isabelle looks hopefully at the others.

"Anything's possible Isabelle," says Kyle, laying a comforting arm on her shoulder.  "What we have to do now, is try and figure out for sure exactly who or what they are.  Anybody have any ideas?"

"Yeah, actually, I have one," says Max.  "Actually, it's how Liz found out about me."

Liz looks up at Max, as images flash through her mind.  She remembers swabbing the slide in class with the pencil that Max had been chewing on.  Looking into the microscope and seeing those cells felt like a sucker punch to her then. Max in the band room pointing up.  That had been the start of it all, and it may be the very thing to start the end in motion.

"Liz took a saliva sample from my pencil when I left the room, and analyzed the cells.  I was thinking we could get blood samples from the agents at the CrashDown and see what it tells us about them, but blood would be too hard to get, but if they are eating and drinking, saliva samples will be a piece of cake."

"But Max," says Liz softly.  "If they are humans who are being possessed by Kivar's people, the samples won't show us anything."

"Damn, what was I thinking of," Max says as he pounds the table.  "I thought I was on to something.  Damn it, I am just so sick of this!"

"Max, you need to calm down and focus here," says Michael unexpectedly.  "My job description includes flying off the handle and pounding tables, not yours.  Look, so far, your idea is the only one we have, so I say we go for it.  Anything we can find out about these guys, the better.  If they have been taken over by aliens, you would think their families would have missing persons info out on them.  Kyle, get with your dad, tell him what's up.  He'll be able to help us with that.  Liz, do you think your dad can provide us with samples from the guys at the restaurant?"

"Yeah, and I bet you anything, they still have the microscope they got me as a graduation gift.  I can check it out as soon as we get the samples." 

"Great," says Michael who has somehow gone into commander mode.  "Kyle, why don't you and Max get out there and do some fishing and hook up with the parents and clue them in?"

"Hey, what about Isabelle and me?" Maria pouts jokingly.  "We're more than just pretty faces you know."

"Believe me, I have plans for you," Michael says leering at Maria.

"Oh please," says Isabelle, rolling her eyes.

"No, really, I do need the two of you to help me start mapping out every possible scenario we can think of, and start making plans for each and every contingency."

"You want my help with that?" asks Maria doubtfully.  "Come on Space Boy, you always say I am the most illogical person you have ever known."

"You are," Michael interjects.

  "Then why do you want my help with something like this?"

"Because Maria, you insane thought process is exactly what we need.  You come up with things that the rest of us will never consider."

"I don't know if I should feel honored or insulted," Maria says.

"Both," says Isabelle.  "Michael, when and if this ever ends, remind me to have a long talk with you about how to compliment the woman you love."

"Everything sounds great Michael," says Max.  "You have managed to come up with the best plan in a short amount of time.  I only have one change I'd like to make.  Why don't you go fishing with Kyle and explain to our dad what's going on."

Michael smiles at Max as the two walk to the door where Kyle is already waiting.

"That would be really cool Maxwell, thanks."

"Listen," Max says softly.  "Can you do one thing for me?  I don't want Isabelle to know about this.  See if my parents can get Jesse over to dinner and get a sample from him as well."

"I will," says Michael.  "I was going to suggest the same thing to you two."

"Yeah, well, I'd rather get a sample of his blood," says Kyle.  "With my fist."

"Don't worry," says Michael as the two leave the cabin.  "You may get your chance.


	40. chapter 40

**Part 40**

Michael tries to cast his line into the water and it fouls and snags a nearby bush.  He curses under his breath and tries to detangle the line for what seems like the thousandth time.

"Need some help there?" a friendly voice asks.

Michael squints into the sun, trying to identify the voice.  Holding his hand up to shade his eyes he answers, "No thanks, I think I'm all set," as the man moves closer.

"You staying here at one of the cabins?" asks the stranger.

"Yeah," says Michael cautiously.  

"I'm looking for some friends of mine.  The six of us are supposed to be having a party out here today.  Have you seen anybody around here setting up for a party?"  

Alarm bells start ringing in Michael's head.  This guy didn't look like any of the other guys that had been following them, but still, you couldn't be too cautious.  "No, I'm sorry, I can't help you, he says as the cabin door slams and Kyle comes walking down the path to the lake.  Michael struggles to contain his laughter as Kyle draws closer.  He is wearing a pink short-sleeved golf style shirt, and a scarf knotted around his neck.

"Whoo hooo, Harry!" he yells, fluttering his hand delicately.  "Harry, you didn't start without me, did you."  He walks up to Michael and places a possessive hand on his fore arm.  "I'm so sorry, I over slept.  I guess last night really wore me out," he says in a suggestive voice.  He turns and looks at the unidentified man, and then turns back to Michael.  "Who's your friend Harry," he says suggestively.  "He's kind of cute."

The stranger begins to back away nervously.  "I guess I'm in the wrong place.  I'll just leave you two alone."

"Toodles," says Kyle.  "Harry, you forgot to wear a hat.  You don't want the sun beating down on those beautiful blond curls of yours, do you?"

Michael watches as the stranger rushes up the path and climbs into a nondescript black sedan and drives away.  "I don't know if I should punch you or hug you," he says.

"If you kiss me, I'll kill you.  I can do that now you know," replies Kyle.  "That was one of the guys from the CrashDown.  Liz spotted him when he pulled up.  We knew you had no idea who he was, and figured a heads up wouldn't hurt."

"No, thanks, but what the hell is all this?" he asks gesturing to Kyle's clothing.

"Thank Isabelle for this.  It was her idea to send me out here like this.  She figured if that guy thought we were together, it would totally throw him off."

"Well, it worked, and it freaked me out too.  God, will you take that stupid scarf off.  I'm going to have nightmares for a month," he mutters stalking back towards the cabin.

Kyle removes the oh so stylish pink shirt and balls it up in his hands.  He twists it a few times and when it unfolds, it's restored to its original navy blue.  Out in the middle of the lake, he sees a boat, with three men in it.  The boat makes its way to the shore and Philip Evans shouts out "Hey, having any luck today?"

"Nah today's just not a good day for fishing.  I'm thinking of heading into town for a pizza or something."

Jim pushes his hat back on his head.  "There's a pizza place called The Flying Pepperoni that isn't too far from here.  My lady friend and I go there a lot."  
  
Kyle nods his understanding.  "Maybe I'll see if my stepsister wants to join me.  She loves pizza too.  But I bet the rest of our friends will probably go for a burger or something."

Michael comes back down the path and joins Kyle on the lakeshore.  "It's ok, the coast is clear.  Look, Kyle, why don't you and your Dad take the boat back and head back into town?  We'll bring Maria and Isabelle with us.  We can meet at the Road Kill Café.  Maria is dying for some French fries.  Is that ok with you," he pauses for a second and that adds, "Dad?"

"That sounds really ok with me," says Philip as he climbs out of the boat.  "Are Max and Isabelle and Liz inside too?"

"Max and Liz took the car and went to town already, Maria and Isabelle are inside.  Damn," he swears,  "We're going to have to use the camper to get back into town.  "We'll stick out like a sore thumb."

"Don't worry," says Philip.  "There is a bunch of people in town for a UFO convention.   There are campers all over he place."

"Cool," says Michael as they watch Kyle and Jim motor back across the lake.  "Hey, where is Liz's dad?  I though the was coming today too."

"Jose called in sick today, he had nobody to man the grill, so he had to bow out.  He was really upset about it.  He wanted to see Liz again."

"Well, then he's in luck.  Liz and Max are on their way to the Crash Down.  Liz needs her microscope and some other science geek stuff she has.  I'll explain it all inside."  Michael starts to walk back up the path, but Philip puts a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Michael, Diane and I want you to know how pleased we are that you signed that paperwork, but even if you hadn't, we would still have considered you our son.  We should have done this so long ago.  We were wrong not to try and step in and help you before."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Michael says with false bravado.  "Living with Hank wasn't that bad, and anyhow, I was at your place more than I was at Hank's anyhow.  Look, we need to head back up there before Isabelle and Maria go crazy.  When we get up there, climb right into the back of the camper, and I'll get Isabelle and Maria out as quick as humanly possible."

Philip puts his arms' around Michael and hugs him tightly.  Michael automatically stiffens and starts to pull away, but after a moment, relaxes and allows himself to hug Philip as well.

"Welcome to the family son."


	41. chapter 41

**Part 41**

Liz and Max walk down the crowded streets of Roswell.  A sign on the UFO center catches Max's eye.  "I guess Brody must be hosting another UFO convention," he says to Liz.

"Well, that will make it easier for us to blend in.  Strangers won't be as noticeable."

"Yeah, but it will make it harder to keep track of whoever is tailing us too," says Max.  "Are you up for this?  We have to make it look good

Max opens the door to the CrashDown and holds it open for Liz to enter.  The two take seats at the counter.  Liz looks into the kitchen and sees her father working the grill.  She waits until she catches his eye, and gives him a slight smile and a wink.  Geoff smiles back cautiously, hoping that the red head smiling is Liz, but unsure until the order comes in for pancakes in the shape of Mickey Mouse.  He flashes her a big smile and sets out to make Liz her favorite childhood breakfast.

Liz checks out the restaurant and notices her "friend" Agent Feltcher sitting in a booth with one of the other guys from last night.  She points him out to Max.

"Well, where is the other one then?" he whispers.  "The one who was here last night?"

"I saw him pulling up by the lake right before we left," Liz admits.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me that then?" Max whispers in a fierce voice.

"Because I knew there was nothing you could do about it, and if you did know, you'd freak out, like you're doing now.  Besides, I did let Kyle know.  He and Michael can handle it, you know they can."

"Damn it Liz, you can't micromanage our lives like that.  Withholding information doesn't help.  I thought you would have learned that last time," he snaps.

Liz looks down at her plate, the tears pooling in her eyes.  "I can't believe you would even bring that up, you jerk," she hisses.  "Fine, then, if I've upset you that much, I'll just leave."  Liz slides off her stool and rushes from the restaurant out onto the crowded sidewalk.  A concerned Geoff watches from the kitchen and shoots Max a concerned look.  Max just shakes his head and continues to eat.  Their plan had been to stage a fight and have Liz leave the restaurant and go around back and climb up the fire escape to her room.  Unfortunately, the fight was more real than Max would have liked, but he knows Liz well enough to know she won't deviate from the plan.

As he finishes his meal, a waitress walks over to the table where the two agents are sitting.  She clears their plates and begins to walk back to the kitchen.  Max stands up just as she walks past and bumps into her, causing the dishes she is holding to fall first against her, and then to the ground.  Max immediately begins to apologize and bends down to help the waitress pick up the mess.  Geoff comes out from the kitchen with a mop.  He sees Max slip two forks and two straws into his jacket pocket.

"Kelly, why don't you go change, I'll get this," Geoff says to the waitress.

"I'm really sorry Miss, that was entirely my fault," says Max.  "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's no problem sir," says the waitress.  "I'll just go grab another uniform out back Mr. Parker, I won't be a minute, thanks."  The girl hurries off.  After making sure nobody was listening, Geoff whispers to Max, "Where is she?"

"Upstairs, she needs to analyze these," he says pointing to the items sticking out of his jacket pocket."

Geoff nods and finishes picking up the last few items on the floor.  "Go," he says.  "I'll make sure those to don't leave for a bit."

Max smiles his thanks and walks out the door of the restaurant.  He takes a quick walk around the block to make sure he isn't being followed.  After making sure nobody was watching him, or the fire escape, he makes short work of climbing up, and entering Liz's room through the open window.

"Liz," he says softly to his wife who is lying on her bed.  "I'm sorry.  What I said was wrong, and I said it strictly to hurt you.  Will you forgive me, please?"

"Yes Max, you know I will forgive you, but excuse me if right now, I can't even stand to look at you," Liz snaps.  "I wasn't trying to keep information from you Max.  I mean God, if it was something life threatening, you know I'd let you know.  But for crying out loud, it was one agent, or whatever he is, driving up to the lake.  I think the others could handle it!"

"You're right Liz.  There isn't anything else I can say except for you are right.  I'm just going crazy right now.  There are so many things that could go wrong, and it's really starting to get to me."

"Fine, whatever, I can't deal with you and your insecurities right now.  Did you get the stuff?" she asks.

"Yeah, here," Max says, removing a plastic bag from his pocket.  Liz reaches into the bag and removes the two forks and the two straws.

"The bag was a good idea Max.  We have a better chance of getting a good sample now."  Liz grabs a swab off of her desk and rubs it against one of the forks and then onto a microscope slide.  She does the same with the other fork, and the two straws.  She inserts one under the microscope and then peers into the eyepiece.  She doesn't say anything, but quickly removes the slide and inserts another.  She looks up from the microscope, and grabs another slide and a small needle.  After swabbing her finger in alcohol, and sterilizing the needle, she quickly pricks her finger with it and allows a small drop of blood to fall onto the slide.  She then motions to Max and swabs his finger, and the needle and pricks his finger to get a blood sample.  She looks at the two samples under the microscope.  Growing more excited, she takes Max's sample, and another sample from a straw and places them on one slide, side by side.  She looks into the microscope one more time and moves over so Max can look as well.  He adjusts the viewfinder and peers into it.  The sample on the left he identifies easily as his own blood, but the sample on the right is something he's never seen before.  It isn't human, and it isn't alien.

"Liz, what is it, what are they?" he asks.

"I'm not sure, but they're not human," is all she says.


	42. chapter 42

Part 42 

"What do you mean, not human?" demands Max.  "What else is there?"  
  
"Max, look closely at this slide," Liz says sliding another slide under the microscope.  "There are three samples on the slide.  Yours, mine, and a sample from one of the guys in the CrashDown, what do you see?"

Max peers into the microscope and looks at the samples.  Again, he identifies his sample.  He looks at the next sample which he identifies as Liz's, similar to his, but with a color change.  The third sample shows triangular cells floating in a turquoise substance.  "Ok, tell me what I'm supposed to see here.  What am I missing?"  
  
"Max, your sample is similar to mine.  You can see the differences, but you can see some similarities too," begins Liz.  "But now, compare your sample to the third sample.  What do you see?"

"Well, some of my cells are somewhat similar to the other sample, but some of them are similar to yours too.  And the color difference between yours and mine is very noticeable, but between my sample and the agents, there are some similarities again.  Damn it Liz, you're the scientist, not me, tell me what this is!"  Max begins to pace around the small bedroom.  "Am I just being dense or what?"

"Max, calm down, will you," Liz says softly  "I don't think you are being dense, but I do think you see what this is, and just don't want to admit it.  There are enough similarities between his sample and yours to just about confirm it.  He is Antarian.  They are here on earth."

"God Liz, what does this mean for us now.  It was bad enough when we were fighting the skins, but at least they had a weakness.  We don't know anything about these people, or how to fight them."

"Max, don't take this the wrong way, but will you shut up please.  First off, think about this, the Special Unit isn't chasing us, that's a plus.  Secondly, these people aren't human, and to be honest, I think this battle is going to be a battle to the death.  I'm not planning on dying any time soon, so that means they are going to have to, and I for one, feel a lot better knowing that what I'm going to be killing isn't human!"

"Ok, you're right, we need to round everybody up and let them know what's going on.  Lets head downstairs and talk to your parents and see if we can find everybody else.  But, one more thing before we go," Max says as he passes his hand over Liz's hair, and restores it to it's original long dark shining glory.  "No more hiding.  If we're going to have a war, it's going to be this way.  I want them to see **ME **when I bring them down."

Liz smiles at her husband, watching as he turns back into a king before her eyes. Not his outward appearance, but the way he is carrying himself.  Liz smiles, and stands on tiptoe and changes his hair back to normal before pressing a kiss on his lips.  No matter what happens, she knows she loves him, and he loves her, and they would both die to protect each other.  Stepping away from him, she goes to her closet and pulls out one of her favorite outfits and begins to change.  "Hey, if I get to be me again, I want to be comfortable at least."

"Hey, that's no fair, what about me, do you think I like wearing stuff like this?" he asks in a mock whiney voice as his fingers pluck the Izod style shirt away from his chest.

"Not a problem," Liz says rummaging through her drawers.  "I think I can help you with that.  Here," she says pulling out an old faded heather green crew neck tee shirt that belonged to Max.  "You left this here one night, and I saved it.  I used to sleep in it sometimes because it smelled of you," she admits almost shyly.

"Liz, you are a wonder," he says holding her close.  The two stand locked in their embrace for a few moments.  Regretfully, Max releases his wife and removes the shirt he was wearing and pulls on the comfortable reminder of his past.  "No more hiding?" he asks Liz reaching for her hand.

"No more hiding," she agrees as she takes his hand.  The two walk out her bedroom door and down the stairs that lead to the restaurant.

Liz and Max enter the employee section of the restaurant, and catch her mother's attention.  When Nancy sees them, she leaves the register and rushes over to them.

"Are you two nuts, what are you doing here looking like that?  Those FBI guys are in the corner."

"Mom, they aren't FBI agents, actually, they are aliens," says Liz

"More of those _skin_ things?" Nancy questions, making a face of disgust.

"No, actually Mrs. Parker, Liz thinks they are from the same place I came from.  They are Antarian."  Max turns to Liz with a thoughtful look on his face.  "Liz, could they possibly be shape-shifters?"

"You mean like Nascedo and Cal Langley?" questions Nancy.

"Wow, you did do your homework Mom," jokes Liz.  Turning to Max she answers, "I don't know, I never studied their physiology, but I suppose it's possible."

"Well, whatever they are, they need to be destroyed," Max says firmly.  "Mrs. Parker, do you know where the others might be, have they been to town at all?"

"Max, will you stop with the Mrs. Parker stuff, you can call me mom, or Nancy, but NOT Mrs. Parker.  And as for the others, Jim and your dad and Kyle are with Michael, Maria and Isabelle at the Road Kill."

"Ok, great, can you call them and tell them to meet us here tonight, after the Crash Down closes.  My mom and Maria's mom too please."

"Of course Max, but what are you and Liz going to do?"

"We're going to lead those two bozo's out there on a wild goose chase, that's what," he says and takes Liz's hand.  Together, the two of them walk out into the restaurant, smile at the two aliens and walk out the door.


	43. chapter 43

Part 43 

Jim had to get to work, so after making arrangements with the others to hook up later, Kyle walks down the street, taking in the sights and sounds of all the people in town for the UFO convention.  Stopping, he shakes his head at some of the strange people walking past, he keeps his eyes peeled for any agents that may be watching him.   The hot sun beat down on his back as people jostle their way past him.  The honking of a horn from a passing car shakes him out of his reverie.

"Excuse me," says a man as he brushes past Kyle.

"Oh yeah, sure, no problem man," says Kyle absent-mindedly.  Continuing down the street, he spies a familiar silhouette crossing at a light ahead of him.  Kyle rushes to cross the street ahead of the figure, knowing that he won't be recognized thanks the presto chango job he did on his appearance.  

Looking back to make sure he is still ahead of the figure he saw, Kyle ducks down an alleyway and turns so he can watch the figure approach.  When he is at the entrance of the alley, Kyle reaches out and yanks him into the alley, pulls him behind a dumpster out of sight, and slams him into a wall.  He curls his hand into a fist and slams it into the man's face several times.  Silently, Kyle proceeds to beat the man senseless.  

Dropping the now unconscious man in a heap, and reaches into his pocket for a handkerchief.  He swabs the man's face with the handkerchief, covering it in blood.  He then takes his fingers and rakes his nails across the man's face.  "Consider this a gift from Isabelle," he says to the still unconscious figure in front of him.

Walking away from the man, Kyle stuffs the bloody handkerchief in his pocket, and smiles to himself. _ Liz ought to be able to get a sample from this blood, and the skin under my nails, _he thinks to himself.  

"I can't believe Michael arranged all of this," Isabelle says to her father as they sit in the back of the RV.  "Dad, it is so good to be able to sit and talk with you."

"Isabelle, honey, your mother and I have been so worried about you," says Philip as he hugs his daughter.  "We got Liz's cryptic message about Jesse being and FBI agent, our hearts broke.  We know how much you love him."

"Look Dad, I really really can't talk about this right now.  Jesse may not even be an FBI agent, he may not even be human."

"What?  What do you mean, not human?" cries Philip.

"Just what I said.  Liz has some weird theory about the agents being Kivar's men or something.  She thinks Tess lead them right to us when she brought Zan back.  All this time, I was married to him, and I never even realized he wasn't human."

Philip just hugs his daughter closer unable to find the words to console her.  There is a knock on the door of the RV, and Michael opens it and sticks his head inside.  "Maria's just about eaten all the grease this wonderful establishment has to offer.  We should really head back to the cabin and wait for the others, and we still have to hit the CrashDown and pick up Kyle."

"Ok, Michael, what about Amy?  Doe she need a ride, or did she head back into town with Jim and Kyle?"

"She's going to ride with us.  Her and Maria are having what Maria calls a gabfest.  There just isn't any stopping them.  We're going to drop you a few blocks from the CrashDown, park this thing, and we'll meet you there."

"I hear my name being taken in vain," Maria cries as she climbs into the RV, followed by her mother.  "Here Isabelle, you didn't get anything to eat, so I brought you some fries."

"Oh.  Gee, thanks Maria," Isabelle says doubtfully.  "The bag looks wet, did you, ah, drop them?"

"That's not water, that's the grease soaking through," Maria laughs.

"Oh yum," says Isabelle sarcastically.  "My arteries can hardly wait to harden."  Nevertheless, she opens the bag as Michael starts the camper up and backs it out onto the highway.

Driving back into Roswell, the group is strangely quiet until Michael pulls up to a curb several blocks away from the CrashDown.  "Ok, you guys head out, and we'll meet you at the CrashDown in a few minutes."

Amy hugs Maria, while Philip pats Michael on the back, and drops a kiss on his daughter's forehead.  "I hate letting any of you out of my site for even a minute," he says as he follows Amy out of the camper.

"Don't worry Dad," we'll see you in just a few minutes, I promise," says Isabelle.

After making sure their parents are safely away from the vehicle, Michael pulls away from the curb and parks in the municipal lot once again.  The three climb out of the vehicle and take the back way to the CrashDown.  As the approach the back of the restaurant, Maria spies someone climbing the fire escape to Liz's room.

"Michael, look," she cries grabbing his arm and pointing.

"You two get to the restaurant and come up from there.  I'll get behind him and block his escape route!" shouts Michael as he takes off running.


	44. chapter 44

Part 44 

Once they are sure the two alien/agents have noticed them, Max grabs Liz by the hand and pulls her through the restaurant as Liz turns back to blow kisses at them.  Once outside the door, they run across the street into the UFO center.  As soon as it is safe, they change their appearance once again and stand back and watch the two alien/agents search the crowd for them.

"Look, there they are," points Liz.  "I don't get it, they know we know who they are, why don't they try and change the way they look?"

"Maybe they can't," says Max.  "I wonder if that particular skill of ours developed more because we are on Earth?"

"Max, look, they're heading towards the door.  How do you want to handle this?"

"Well, my first instinct is to take these two down right now, and get rid of them, but we can't.  I want all of them together in one place, then we kill them."

Liz shivers a little at the coldness in her husband's voice, but she knows he doesn't like the idea of killing anybody any more than she does.  It's just a necessary evil at this point.  Tugging on his sleeve, she motions for him to follow her and the two walk over to where their pursuer's.  As they walk past them towards the door, Liz reaches out a hand and hits one of them on the shoulder.  "Tag, your it," she says as she and Max take off out the door.

Outside the door, Liz removes her jacket and changes her hair again, while Max changes the color of his shirt to a blinding yellow.

"Yellow?" Liz questions.  "Since when do you wear yellow?"

"What can I say, I'm a man of mystery," Max responds as he watches the aliens come out of the UFO center and search the milling crowds for them.  "Ok, Liz, I want you to head back to the CrashDown.  I'm going to follow these two alien rejects for a while and see where they go."

"Max, I don't want us to split up again," Liz says.

"I don't either, but we have to know where they are going, and you need to study those cells some more.  See if you can find a weakness or something."  He leans down and kisses her passionately, pulling her close to his body, savoring her warmth.

"Max," she groans.  "You expect me to let you leave after that?"

He bends down to kiss her again, when he sees the two aliens walk away out of the corner of his eye.  "Damn it Liz, when we finally finish this thing, I'm going to find some secluded hotel, with room service 24/7 and lock us in and never leave."  He quickly presses a kiss on her lips and pulls away.  "Their leaving, I have to follow them."

"I know, but Max, check in, please."

"I'll will.  I love you Liz.  Forever!" he says as he pulls away and walks off into the crowd, following the two aliens.

Liz watches until he disappears out of site and heads back to the CrashDown.  She opens the door and walks in, only to be pushed to the ground by two girls who come flying through the door behind her.

"Hey!" she shouts, but neither girl stops running.  They head towards the stairs that lead to the upstairs living quarters.  Liz jumps to her feet and takes off after them.

"Who the hell are you?  Stop!" she yells.  The smaller of the two girls looks back at her.

"Liz?  Come on, we saw someone climbing the fire escape to your room."

"Damn, the samples," she mutters as she rushes up the stairs.  Outside her bedroom door, she pushes past Maria and Isabelle and pushes open the door.  She sees Michael climbing through her window, and she raises her hand to blast him when Maria grabs her arm.

"Liz, no, that's Michael."

"Where is he?  Where is that guy, I was right behind him?" Michael says, gasping for breath.  "He climbed through the window, I know he did."

"Well, nobody passed us on the stairs," Liz says.  A crash from the bathroom causes her to spin around towards the door, arm upraised.

"Ah guys," a voice calls out from the bathroom.  "I'm going to open the door, and I'd really appreciate it if you didn't kill me."

"Kyle?" asks Isabelle.  "Oh my God, you jerk, why didn't you let us know it was you?"

"Well, that's kind of what I'm doing now," Kyle responds from behind the bathroom door.  Now do you promise me Michael isn't about to blast me?"

"He's not going to blast you Kyle but I might," says Liz lowering her arm.  "Get out here now!  What the hell are you doing climbing up here that way?"

"Come on Liz, it's the way we always get into your room, besides, I didn't want to play hide and go seek with the agents downstairs," answers Kyle as he opens the bathroom door.

"There not agents, we ran some tests today, they aren't human at all," says Liz as she throws herself on her bed.  A knock at the door causes her to jump up.  Michael grabs Maria and shoves her behind him near the window so she can climb out quickly.  Kyle and Isabelle raise their palms towards the door as Liz walks over to open it.

"Lizzie, is everything ok?" her father asks from the other side of the door.  Liz opens the door to her father.  "Yeah Dad, sorry about that, we're fine.  Michael, Isabelle and Maria saw someone climbing up the fire escape so the where chasing him.  They didn't realize it was Kyle."

"You kids, I can't imagine how you have managed to live like this for so long," Geoff Parker says as he enters the room.  "Wait, where is Max?"

"Yeah, where is he?" questions Michael.

"He's tailing our two buddies from downstairs," Liz replies.  

"Ok, look, I have a very worried Philip and Amy downstairs.  Apparently, you three," he says nodding towards Michael, Maria and Isabelle, "were supposed to meet them here," says Geoff.

"Isabelle, why don't you go downstairs and talk to your dad for a bit and tell him what's going on.  Let him know you are ok," says Kyle.  "That way he can see for himself that nothing's wrong."

Isabelle shoots Kyle a strange look, but agrees and follows Geoff Parker out the door.  Once she is out of hearing, Kyle pulls the bloody handkerchief out of his pocket.

"Oh Kyle, that is so disgusting," says Maria.  "Why are you showing it to us?"

"Liz," he says ignoring Maria.  "This is Jesse's blood.  I also have some of his skin under my fingernails.  Is that enough for you to see if he's an alien too?"

"Jesus Valenti, how did you get that?" asks Michael.

"How the hell do you _think_ I got it you moron?  I beat the crap out of him."

Michael gives Kyle an approving look.  "Damn," he says.  I wanted that job."

Liz takes the handkerchief from Kyle and then takes his hand and scrapes some pieces of skin from under his nails.  She walks over to her desk and mixes a solution and drops the skin cells into it.  She then places some of the liquid on a slide and examines it under the microscope.  Turning to Kyle, she motions him over and takes his hand and swabs it with alcohol and pricks it with a needle before he is aware of what she is doing.

"Ow, that hurts," he says.

"It's all in the name of science," is all Liz says as she puts Kyle's slide under the microscope. She studies the sample, and then puts the other slide back under the viewfinder.  "Maria, get downstairs and make sure Isabelle doesn't come up here.  I don't want her to hear this."

"Wait a second, I'm not leaving until you tell me what you found," demands the other girl.

"And I'm not letting you make those kinds of decisions for my Liz," says Isabelle from the doorway.  "What don't you want me to hear?"

"Isabelle," says Liz.  "It's not that I didn't want you to hear, but I wanted to talk to you alone, really."

"Well, it looks like that won't be happening, so what is it?"  
  


"Well, we have a sample of Jesse's blood, and I just tested it and compared it to the samples from the other aliens.  Isabelle, I'm sorry, Jesse isn't one of them."

Isabelle's face turns a deathly gray white, as the blood leaves her face.  She sits down quickly on the chair.  "So, he just willingly betrayed me, is that it?"

"It looks that way Isabelle," Liz says softly as she moves across the room to comfort the other girl.  Maria grabs Michael and Kyle by the arms and pulls them out of the room and closes the door softly.

"I'm not getting this," said Michael.  "She wanted him to be an alien?"

"Yeah," answers Maria.  "God Guerin, haven't you learned [I]anything[/I] in all the years we've been together.  If he were an alien, it would mean that he never did love her and he was here to destroy her.  Being human makes it so much worse.  He betrayed her, gave up on their love. Do you get that?"

"Yeah, actually, I think I do," says Michael.  "It's like she feels like there is something wrong with her.  Something bad enough to make the man who supposedly loves her sells her out."

"Very good Space Boy," says Maria.  "You may now pass Go and collect $200.00.  The question is what are we going to do about it?"

"That's simple says Isabelle, opening the bedroom door.  We're going to take him down!"


	45. chapter 45

**Part 45**

Isabelle pushes past her shocked friends and starts down the stairs.  Wordlessly, they all follow her down to the restaurant and push together in a booth.

"I'm, excuse me, but isn't this a little obvious?" asks Maria.  "We're even sitting in our old booth.  When those guys come back, they'll figure out who we are."

"They already know Maria," Liz answers.  "I haven't had a chance to tell you what happened today.  Max and I let them see us on purpose.  We changed back to ourselves and got them out of here to follow us.  We hid in the crowd at the UFO center and disguised ourselves again, and Max followed them to find out what he could about them."

"Liz, why the hell did you do that?" demands Michael.  "Do you know how risky that was?"

"Come on Michael, it wasn't risky, and you know it.  We all agreed it would be better to be proactive, go on the offense rather than keep running."

"I don't know girlfriend," says Maria.  "I'm kind of agreeing with Michael here.  It sounds pretty risky."

"Kyle, what about you, what do you think?"

"Well," says Kyle, idly spinning a fork on the table.  "Much as I hate to say it, I think I'm in agreement with the alien general."

"That's a bunch of crap," says Isabelle as she slams her hand down on the fork Kyle is spinning.  "You are just pissed because Liz and Max got the opportunity to do this, and you didn't.  They saw an opportunity and they took it.  What's wrong with that?"

Liz gives Isabelle a surprised and grateful look, happy for her support.  Michael, Kyle and Maria looked at each other and nodded ruefully.  "I guess we all just wanted to be the one to make the big play," says Kyle.

"Well, just tell me you did it with style Chica," says Maria.

"Well, does blowing them a kiss as I walked past their table count?" questions Liz.  The others burst out laughing, as Geoff, Amy, Nancy and Philip watch them with fond indulgence from across the room.

"Maria, Isabelle, come with me," commands Liz, standing up suddenly.  The other two girls rise and follow Liz across the room to the woman's room.

"My God," says Kyle, they really do go in a pack," says Kyle as he and Michael sit back and wait.  They don't have long, as moments later the door opens, and out walk the three girls looking like they did before they started running.

"Hot damn," says Kyle as he drops the fork he had been playing with on the floor.  He reaches under the table to retrieve it and when he reemerges, he looks like himself again.

"Well, hell," says Michael under his breath as he gets up and stalks across the floor to the kitchen.  He comes out a few minutes later with his hair restored to its typical shade and non-style.

"Michael, what exactly are you doing?" asks Philip with concern.

"Apparently, we're taking back our lives.  Don't ask me, I don't know anything anymore.  All I know is when we left, I said we should leave and go quietly into the night.  Did we do that?  No, of course not.  We go out in the biggest way possible.  I say we should sneak back into town and stay underground for as long as possible, and what are we doing, having a sock hop at the CrashDown."  Michael continues muttering under his breath as he walks back to the booth and sits down with the others.  The four adults bust out laughing at Michael's diatribe when the door to the restaurant opens.

Max runs in, gasping for breath, and head directly for the stairs leading to the upstairs.  Stopping suddenly, he turns back and sees everyone sitting and watching him.  He grins sheepishly, pulls up a chair and sits down.

"What did you find?" asks Liz.

"There are about ten of them, in an abandon building outside of town.  I didn't see Jesse anywhere Isabelle," he says looking at his sister.  "Hey, wait a second, why do you all look like yourselves?"

"Glad to see our fearless leader is so observant," says Michael in a dry voice.

"No more running Max," says Liz taking his hand.

"No more running he agrees.  Ok, like I said, they are in an old abandon building, and it's pretty isolated.  There's only one-way in and out that I could see, from an access road that runs off of 285.  I scouted around the building, and there are entrances in the front and the rear of the building.  I don't know if it has a basement of any type.  Kyle, maybe your dad can get us that info."

"Maxwell, that's great information," says Michael.  "I think, if we can,"

Suddenly, Kyle stands up and climbs out over the back of the booth.  "Max, Michael, come with me."

A grinning Michael catches on immediately and he pulls Max to his feet and the trio proceeds to the men's room.

"Um, why are we all in here together?" asks Max.  "Are we exploring our feminine side or something?"

"No," answers Kyle.  "The biggest reason we are here is to bust on the girls for a few minutes, but I also wanted to tell you, I saw Jesse today."

"Yeah, what was he up to?"

"Mostly bleeding, after I beat the shit out of him," says Kyle in a matter of fact voice.

"Oh," says Max, barely blinking at the news.  "What did you do that for?"

"Well, for Isabelle, and to get a sample of his blood for Liz.  She tested it already, while you were gone."

"What did she find, is he an alien too?"

"No such luck.  He's 100% human," says Michael.  "Isabelle's taking it pretty hard."

"Why?  Shouldn't she be happy he isn't an alien?"  
  


"Maxwell, don't you know anything about women?" asks Michael in a patronizing tone.    "If he had been an alien, it wouldn't have hurt so bad because his whole purpose would have been to betray her.  Instead, she is stuck wondering if he betrayed her because of something she did, or didn't do.  She doesn't have any real closure on their relationship."

"Oh," says a still bewildered Max, while Kyle tries unsuccessfully to hide his grin behind his hand.

"Look, why don't you change yourself back to you, and we'll head back out.  I'm getting the creeps hanging out in here with you.  What do they find so fascinating about bathrooms anyhow?" asks Michael.

"It's just one of the great mysteries of women that we'll never understand," says Kyle.

Max passes his hand over his face and hair, and restores himself back.  Opening the door back into the restaurant, they find that Geoff has closed early, and all the parents are there armed with maps, walkie-talkies and various other items.  For all intense purposes, their war has begun.


	46. chapter 46

Part 46 

Isabelle walks slowly past the apartment that she and Jesse used to share.  She pauses to stand underneath a tree and watches as a man a carrying a gym bag exits the building.  As he draws closer, she sees that it is Jesse.  Without thought, she starts walking several paces behind him.  They pass through the residential district where their apartment had been located, but instead of heading toward the downtown area, Jesse instead turns down the street, which leads to the cemetery where Alex was buried.  Isabelle's steps falter, she isn't sure if the cemetery is where she wants to go, but with her new found resolve, she pushes her grief for Alex aside and continues to follow Jesse.

Isabelle follows Jesse in horror as he unerringly takes a direct path to Alex's grave.  _What is he doing here? _she wonders to herself.  _I swear, plan or no plan, if he does anything to Alex's grave, I'll kill him where he stands._  Isabelle moves behind a nearby oversized gravestone which will provide her with cover, but still allow her to see and hear Jesse.  The snapping of twigs alerts her that someone else is approaching, and she hunkers down behind the headstone, and tries to still her breathing.

"Jesse, good of you to meet me here," says a voice.  Isabelle is positive she has never heard this voice before, but it sends shivers of fear down her spine.

"You know I'll do whatever it takes to ensure the success of this mission Dr. Henderson," replies Jesse.

"I found it rather fitting for us to meet on the grave of Vilondra's dead lover."

"No sir, they were never lovers.  He was just a stupid boy that she enslaved with her cunning and her guile, like she did to so many others."

This shocking assessment of her character causes Isabelle to cover her mouth with her hand to stifle the small cry that threatened to escape.

"…Much like that insipid Valenti."  Isabelle forces herself to focus, realizing that she just missed something important about Kyle.

"Valenti is nothing," says the man Jesse called Dr. Henderson.  "He is just another pawn in Vilondra's little game.  He is going to die, they all are, so it is no matter to me."

"Including Vilondra, sir?"

"Yes, I no longer need her, or any of them, and I no longer want _her_.  She is nothing to me.  I am here only to destroy them.  Once the people know they are dead, I will be able to assume my rightful position as King of Antar."

  
Isabelle peers over the headstone, trying to get a look at the man with Jesse.  He is a handsome man, with a scar bisecting his left cheek.  A lock of his blond hair falls over his forehead, and his eyes, a piercing steel blue cause her to shiver and duck behind the gravestone once again.

"Zan made the mistake of allowing himself to get involved with you stupid simple humans.  That alone should prove he could never be a leader.  The only thing he did on this backwards planet that could be construed as intelligent was getting rid of that stupid bitch Ava.  And Rath as usual is following his King blindly.  That man never could think for himself.  It's hard to believe there was a faction that wanted him on the throne.  Our world would have been destroyed in no time if that had happened."

"What about the other humans sir?  What are you going to do with them?" asks Jesse as he silently taps his fingers on his gym bag.

"They too will die.  They've caused me to many problems for me to allow them to live.  Although, I am toying with the idea of allowing Zan's wife to live and bringing her back to Antar to be my whore.  Now that idea has some merit."

"As you wish sir.  How do you wish to proceed?"

"The men will assemble tonight at our headquarters.  There was some concern that the royal simpletons found out we are here, but I'm positive that isn't so.  At first I was concerned to find they had changed themselves back to their original appearances, but I'm sure they have just grown complacent.  They think their safe here.  I must say, I am envious of this ability they have to change their appearances that way.  It is a shame we can't do it as well.  It must have something to do with how their powers developed here on Earth."

"Are there any other differences in their abilities Dr. Henderson?"

"I don't think so, I'm sure their ability to destroy things tapers off after a short while as does ours.  I think it has something to do with the atmosphere of this backwards planet."

"I know that when Vilondra and I were together, she often complained about that," said Jesse.  "That her powers would weaken after she used them.  She was also afraid because other than their ability to make things explode, they had no way to protect themselves."

"Interesting," says Henderson.  "So, they have no shielding powers?  That's good to know because ours weaken after about five Earth minutes.  Good, it won't take long to kill them.  Ramirez, will you stop that incessant fidgeting with that bag of yours!  Yours is such an inferior race, you can't even manage to stand still for any length of time.  Very well Ramirez.  Let's leave this place, it's starting to annoy me."

Isabelle sits in stunned silence listening to the exchange between the two men.  _Jesse knows exactly what my powers are, _she thinks to herself.  _What all our powers are.  Why is he telling that Henderson person differently?  _She peeks over the headstone to make sure they are leaving, and she sees Jesse staring intently in her direction.  Smothering a gasp, she ducks behind the stone again and waits in fear.  After several more minutes pass, she looks again and sees that they have left.  Marshalling her courage, she gets up and runs in the opposite direction, back towards town.  In her haste to escape the cemetery, she fails to notice a man standing behind a tree observing her.

"Isabelle," he whispers as his fingers drum silently on the tree beside him.


	47. chapter 47

Par**t 47**

"Ramirez, stop skulking behind trees, and lets get a move on," says Henderson walking back towards Jesse who is watching Isabelle leave.

"Yes Dr. Henderson, I'm sorry sir," answers Jesse woodenly.

"And will you stop calling my by that ridiculous Earth name.  Vilondra's gone, and there is nobody here that we need to worry about.  Call my by my true and royal name."

"Yes, Kivar, I'm sorry," answers Jesse.

"Do you think my beautiful and witless Vilondra believed our performance?"

"Yes Kivar, I know she did.  And now she is running to let the others know that they are still safe for now.  Allowing her to think we were unaware of them was perfect."

"There stupidity, along with their underdeveloped powers will be their undoing," says Kivar.  "I will destroy them all."

"What's next sir?" Jesse asks in a toneless voice.

"Why, we set our trap of course, and deliver them to Antar to be executed publicly.  That will prevent any other usurpers from coming forth.  Come, let us return to town."

"Yes Kivar," says Jesse, tapping his fingers against his let as he struggles to overcome the powerful mind warp Kivar has him under.  It was hard, so hard, and several times, he found himself succumbing to the powers of Kivar's mind, but his love for Isabelle was so much stronger.  He would hold out.  He had to; he would do anything to save her.

Isabelle rushes into the CrashDown, looking for someone, anyone who can help her make sense of what she has just seen and heard.  Maria and Liz are sitting at a booth, eating, and she rushes over and joins them.

"Isabelle, what's wrong?" asks Maria. 

"Jesse," gasps Isabelle.

"Jesse?  He's following you, he found you?"

"Maria, shut up, and give her a chance to answer," says Liz.

"He-He's not working against us," Isabelle manages to get out.

"What do you mean Isabelle?   How do you know?" Liz questions gently.

"I was at our old apartment, when Jesse walked out, I followed him to the cemetery, to Alex's grave.  I hid behind another headstone, and after a few minutes, another guy showed up."

"Who was the other guy Isabelle, have you seen him before?" questions Maria.

"I don't know, his name was Henderson, he was really good looking, with blue eyes, and a scar."

"A scar on his left cheek," interrupts Liz softly.

"Yeah, how did you know?" asks Isabelle with a puzzled look on her face.

"He was my boss at the last hospital I worked in," says Liz.  "I can't believe it.  All that time, and I never knew."

"Well, he may be calling himself Henderson, but I think he's Kivar," says Isabelle.  "Look, none of this is important right now.  We need to get everybody together and figure out a way to rescue Jesse."

"Look Isabelle, I know you aren't going to want to hear this, but I don't think that's such a great idea.  Did it ever occur to you that the whole thing was a set up?" questions Maria.

"It's not a set up Maria, I know it isn't.  Jesse's my husband; we have to save him.  Would you even think about saying that if it were Michael?  No, you'd be whining and nagging until we did something about it."

Maria looks at Isabelle, and her eyes fill up with tears.  "I can't believe you would even say that.  God Isabelle, will you ever realize the world does **NOT** revolve around you," Maria cries as she grabs her purse and exits the restaurant.

"Damn, I didn't mean that," Isabelle says as she looks at Liz.  

"No, I think you did mean to say it," Liz says reasonably.  It wasn't the best thing to say, and it sure wasn't tactful, but you did mean to say it."

"What, do you all think I'm an unreasonable bitch?"

"No Isabelle, that's not what I'm saying at all.  You've been under a huge amount of stress and strain.  You've been betrayed by one of the people you thought would never do anything to hurt you, and now there's a chance that you weren't betrayed at all.  I'd say you were about due for an explosion."

"God Liz, are you always so damn logical," Isabelle says with a hysterical giggle.

"No, you should have seen the fight Max and I had the other day up in my room.  We both said some things I thought we'd never say to each other.  Don't worry, we'll work this out, we always do," says Liz as she reaches out and takes her sister-in-law's hand.  As she does, the door to the CrashDown opens up and in storms Michael Guerin, followed closely by Max and Kyle.

"What the hell did you do to Maria, Isabelle?" he snaps in a rage.

Isabelle looks at Liz and draws a breath.  "I said some rude and hateful things, and I need to find her and apologize.  Is she outside?"

"Uh, yeah," says a deflated Michael.  "She's at one of the outside tables."

Isabelle excuses herself and heads outside to Maria while the others arrange themselves around the table.  "Liz, do you know what happened?" asks Michael.

"A little," she says and proceeds to fill them in on the details she does know.  Max and Michael proceed to make tentative plans, while Kyle sits silently with a sad look on his face.

"You ok?" Liz whispers under her breath.

"Yeah," Kyle says.  "I hope for Isabelle's sake, she's right.  I'd hate to see her hurt again.  Her happiness is what matters to me."

"But Kyle, I thought," Liz begins.

"I know what you thought, but I knew a long time ago, that Isabelle would never see me as anything other than a friend.  I accepted that.  Her friendship is very important, she's very important.  I would do anything to keep her safe and happy."

"Kyle Valenti, you are a wonderful person, did you know that?"

"Yeah, so I've been told," Kyle says with a slight smile, as Isabelle and Maria walk back to the table.  "So, are you ladies ok, or are we going to get our own personal and private episode of GLOW?"

"Glow?" questions Liz with a slight frown.

"Glorious Women of Wrestling," chorus Maria, Isabelle, Michael and Kyle.

"No, I apologized to Maria, I was wrong," says Isabelle simply.

"I was wrong too, if Jesse's in danger, we have to rescue him," adds Maria.  "So how do we do it?"

"We don't," says Max, as the others turn to stare at him.


	48. chapter 48

**Part 48**

"What do you mean we don't rescue him?" hisses Isabelle.  "Max, he's my husband."

"Isabelle, I know, but we can't just rush right in blindly.  I know you think Kivar is warping him, but until we are certain, we have to play this one close to our chests.  For all we know, Jesse really is working for them, and this is all a plan to lure us in."

"No Max," says Isabelle, her voice trembling, you're wrong this time know it.  If you won't help me, I'll do it myself."  Isabelle walks away from the table and takes a seat at the counter.  Liz excuses herself from the table, shoots Max a baleful look and takes a seat next to Isabelle and places a comforting arm on her shoulder.

"Isabelle?" she asks.  "Can I speak with you for a second?"

"Not if you're here to plead my loser brother's case," Isabelle answers.

"Look Isabelle, I'm not about to interfere with what's going on between you and Max.  First, because I know I'd be royally peeved if you interfered in an argument between Max and myself, but secondly, I really can see both sides of this.  Max was a complete and total ass, and appears to be suffering from a terminal case of foot in mouth disease lately."

Isabelle gives an undignified snort at the description of her brother and her shoulders relax a little as she lets down her guard with Liz.  "Max does seem to be opening mouth and inserting foot more often these days," she agrees with a slight smile.

"Listen, I didn't even bother talking with Max, and I wouldn't presume to speak for him, but I think what he was saying is we can't walk out of here right now and go rescue Jesse.  We need to reconnoiter a little, and see what we can find out.  Does that make sense to you."

Isabelle gives a grudging nod, and Liz decides to continue.  "If Jesse is being mind warped, we'll do whatever we can to get him out Isabelle, you know that.  But we do have to make sure that they are controlling him.  We still don't even know the whole story yet.  Do you think you can come over and tell us everything again?"

"And again," continues Isabelle smiling for real now.  "If I know anything at all about my control freak brother, he is going to want to analyze this to death.  Yeah, I'll tell all, but first let's make him suffer a little bit.  Want to split a plate of fries with me?"

While Liz is talking to Isabelle, Maria is taking the opportunity to blast Max for all she is worth.  "You stupid jerk," she says punching him on the arm.  "What the heck are you doing, telling Isabelle we won't rescue Jesse?  Are you stupid or something?"

"Maria, what are you talking about, you weren't crazy about the idea either?" says Max, rubbing his shoulder.

"Yeah, but I'm not her brother, d'uh," she says rolling her eyes.  "Think Max, think.  Use that kingly brain of yours for once in your life.  What did you say to Isabelle?  You said NO; we're not doing anything.  Real compassionate of you."

"I only meant we need to check things out, assess the situation, and then make our move," Max says in defense of himself.

"Yeah, well, maybe you should say that to Isabelle, and not to me," Maria says as she gets up and leaves the booth to join Liz and Isabelle at the counter.  "Hey girlfriends," she says climbing up on a stool.  "Pass the fries please."

"How'd it go over there?" Liz asks.  "Is my dolt of a husband feeling suitably guilty yet?"

"Oh yeah," says Maria grabbing a fry and dunking it in a pool of catsup.  "I learned guilt at the knees of a master.  I am valedictorian of the Amy DeLuca School of guilt.  Max will be in full grovel mode in about five minutes."

"Have I ever told you how wonderful you both are?" asks Isabelle.

"No," both girls answer with alarming promptness, causing Isabelle to look at them, her face flushed.

"We're kidding Isabelle, relax," says Maria.  "Face it, we're all wonderful, we have to be to put up with those three bozo's over there."

"Speaking of which, Isabelle, how about heading back over there and putting Max out of his misery," says Liz.  "I'd like to have a happy husband tonight."

"Um chica, if you think it's his sister's responsibility to make him happy, then you have a serious problem," Maria chimes in.

The three girls burst out laughing, and slide off their stools and cross back over to the booth where the guys are waiting.  Max waits until they all squeeze in before turning to Isabelle.  "Iz, I'm sorry, what I was trying to say came out all wrong.  Of course we're going to figure out a way to save Jesse, we just need to be careful."

"I know Max, now why don't I tell you exactly what happened, and then we can try and make some plans."

Isabelle recounts her story time after time, until everyone is sure they could recount the story themselves.

"Look, we've been here all day, eating Liz's folks out of their profits, plus we aren't exactly keeping a low profile," says Michael  "How about we get some take out, and head back to the cabin.  I'm up for Chinese."

Everyone else nods in agreement, and Liz gets up to let her father know what's going on.  She returns in a few minutes with a slight smile on her face.

"Um guys, apparently, Chinese take out is already waiting for us back at the cabin, courtesy of our mothers, and our dads will be joining our strategy session later on."

"Could someone explain to me how for three years, we kept them totally in the dark, and now, nothing is getting past them?" asks Maria to nobody in particular.

"I don't know, but it feels kind of nice," says Max as the group walks outside.


	49. chapter 49

Part 49 

"Ok, the way I see it, if we try and come around the back of the building," said Michael as she shovels a forkful of sweet and sour pork into his mouth, "we can sneak in after dark, and they'll never see us coming."

"Michael as plans go, that one pretty much sucks," says Max.  "Pass the mushu pork please."

"Max, your lack of tact is showing again," says Maria passing him the spicy pork dish.  "And Michael, stop talking with mouth full of food, it's disgusting.

"Sorry, it's just that this is so important," Max says to Michael, who is busy showing Maria the large chewed mass of food in his mouth. "We can't afford to make any mistakes."

"Excuse me, but do people think you can grow up!" shouts Isabelle.  "Look, Max is right about one thing, we can't afford to screw up.  We have too much riding on this, like our lives."  She stands up and walks over to the window and peers out at their mothers who are sitting out on a dilapidated picnic table, talking.  "We can't waste time sitting around, making jokes and acting like a bunch of stupid kids.  We have to act, not react."

"Isabelle, spare me the motivational speeches please," Kyle snaps.  "We're all aware of what's at stake here.  You're not the only person with something to lose."  Kyle pushes past Isabelle and walks out the door; slamming it behind him with a force so hard it rattles the cabin.

"What's wrong with him?" asks Isabelle, looking blankly at the others.

"Isabelle, you've got to be kidding, right?" Maria asks.  "Never mind," she says shaking her head.  Just leave him alone, he'll be back in a little while, why don't we just get this stuff cleaned up and get to work?"

They make quick work of cleaning up the remnants of their meal and are just sitting down to start planning when Kyle walks back in.  "Hey, did I miss anything?" is all he says, ignoring his earlier outburst.

"No, we're just getting started," says Liz.  "Is the mom patrol still outside?"

"Yeah, actually, it's the mom and dad patrol now.  They said to tell you they'd be in shortly."

"Ok, first order of business is a plan to get into the building where they are located," says Michael.  "I still don't see why we just can't walk in through the front door."

"Maybe because we don't want to die, Space Boy," Maria says, kissing his cheek to take the sting out of her comment.

"Actually, it's a damn good idea," says Jim Valenti as he walks through the door, followed closely by the other parents.  "Some of us could go in through the front door, and the others could slip in unnoticed through the shipping and receiving area."  He spreads a blue print of the building on the table and points to the loading docks.

"But what reason would we have for even being there, never mind going in through the front door? Liz asks, as Max yells, "Us, there the only us going in there is **us** not you!"

"One thing at a time," says Geoff Parker calmly.  "The building is for lease, we checked with a local agent, and it's been on the market for several months.  Nobody has any idea your friends are staying there.  Two of you can get in there with one of us posing as a realtor and prospective customers."

"Right, and a second group can go in through the loading dock, while the others will be on the outside, guarding the perimeter, making sure nobody escapes," Jim says, picking up where Geoff left off.

"The point you seem to be missing is that we are not letting you out there," Max says.  "You have no way of defending yourselves against them.  We can't risk anything happening to you."

"Max," his mother says gently.  "This isn't your decision.  You kept us out of everything that happened before, when we could have helped you.  We're not going to let that happen again.  You're our children, and we love you, and we'll do anything to protect you.  You, above all others should know what a parent would do to protect a child.

Max walks towards the kitchen area as he mulls over his mother's words.  At one level, he knew she was right, he would do anything, including die to protect his son.  But on another level, he didn't want to put his parents, or any of the parents in the path of danger.  He reaches into the fridge and pulls out several sodas and walks back over to the planning area and hands them out.  "I can't stop you, and I won't speak for the others, but I just want to go on the record as saying I don't like it at all.  I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you because of us."

"Max, we're adults, we can take care of ourselves, and we know the risks.  We're not going into this blind," his father says.  "Besides, there is something you don't know about that may help just a little.  All of us are crack shots with pistols and rifles.  After you all left after graduation, and we all found out what was going on, Jim took all of us out to a shooting range and made sure we had at least one way to defend ourselves."

"Yeah, but guns aren't going to be any match," begins Liz.

"Against the powers they have.  We know," interrupts Amy.  "But they are not going to be expecting it, so it can't hurt either."

"Mom, you, the uber-pacifist using a gun?" Maria cries in shock.

"Amazingly enough, she's the best shot out of all of us," Nancy Parker says with a laugh.  "She's a regular Annie Oakley."

"I think I need some cedar oil," Maria says faintly.

"Ok, we have a plan to get in there," says Max.  "But what about Jesse?  We really should try and get some more information about him before we do anything."

"What about Jesse?" ask Philip and Diane together.  Isabelle explains about her expedition to the cemetery and everything she overheard.  "So we don't know for sure if he betrayed us, or if he is being mind warped.  We just don't know what to do."

"Well, you are positive he is a human, right?" asks Geoff.  When the others nod, he continues, "Why not try taking him alive, and getting him out and containing him.  We can restrain him with Jim's handcuffs and keep him here until we know for sure what the situation is."

"And what if we find out he is a traitor?" asks Isabelle.  "What do we do with him then?"

Kyle walks up the distraught girl and takes her hand.  "We deal with that when it happens Isabelle, and not a moment before.  We can't play the what if game with this.   The important thing is to get him out of there and keep him safe.  Don't waste time or energy worrying about anything else right now."

Liz sits back and looks at Kyle in amazement.  Even with his heart totally destroyed by this new turn of events, he still has Isabelle's best interest at heart.  "Kyle's right.  We can't think about anything right now about getting in there.  I really wish there was some way we could check that place out some more.  Maybe get an idea of how many people they have in there and where they are located."

"How about if we spend tomorrow checking the place out?" asks Michael.  "We can break up into teams of two and keep it under surveillance.  Four hour shifts, with one of us and a parent on each team." 

"That is a great idea Michael," says Jim.  "Why don't you break us up into teams?  I have to run out to my truck for a second.  Philip, Geoff, want to give me a hand?"  The three men walk outside while Michael grabs a pad and starts making a surveillance schedule.

Midnight – 4:00 a.m.  Michael-Amy.

4:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.  Philip – Liz

8:00 a.m. -  12:00 p.m.   Kyle – Diane

12:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.   Max – Nancy

4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Jim – Geoff

8:00 p.m. – Midnight  Isabelle – Maria

Michael scribbles some quick copies and hands out assignments as Jim and the others walk through the door, the arms loaded down with loaded duffle bags.  They place the bags on the floor and pull out walkie-talkies, night vision goggles, and binoculars.  In another bag, the kids get a glimpse of guns, holsters and boxes of bullets.

"Holy shit," Kyle exclaims.  "Were you planning on starting world war three or something?

"I started amassing all of this stuff after you left.  I didn't know if you'd be back, but I figured if you did come home, it wouldn't hurt to be prepared.  Ok, each one of us gets a gun.  We are licensed to carry one," Jim says, glancing at the surveillance schedule Michael hands him.  "Isabelle, Maria, neither one of you can carry a gun legally.  Michael, would you mind if I moved Maria around in your rotation and took her with me and Isabelle and Geoff go together?"

"Yeah, that makes sense, that way you have someone with our powers, and someone with a gun," Michael agrees.  "Ok, Ms. DeLuca and I have the first shift.  We should probably head over there now, if you're ready."

"Just a minute," Amy says as she grabs a gun and holster from the bag and straps it on.  She checks the weapon and loads it and sets the safety on.  She then grabs some ammo and stuffs it into her jacket pocket.  "Ok, now I'm ready," she says.  Nancy hands her a pack filled with water and snacks, the night goggles and a walkie-talkie.  She takes the pack and heads towards the door.

"I really really need some cedar oil now," whispers Maria as she hugs her mother and Michael goodbye and watches as they walk out the door.


	50. chapter 50

**Part 50**

Michael and Amy park their car about a half a mile from the empty factory building where the Antarians are hiding.  Michael hefts the backpack onto his shoulder and he and Amy hike towards the building.  As luck would have it, there is a small grove of trees about 100 yards from the building, and Amy and Michael set up camp there.  Amy pulls the night vision goggles out of the bag and passes them to Michael.  He takes them and looks at them, and Amy oddly.

"Um, don't you want them?" he asks.  "After all, you're the expert at this stuff."

"Hardly Michael, what I am is a scared mom who will do anything to protect the people that she loves.  Much like you would do anything to protect the people you love.  Now what I want you to do is tell me everything that you see, and I'll jot down some notes.  Maybe you could also sketch some pictures of the people in there."

"Uh, I'm not really very good at drawing.  The only thing I've ever drawn is that dome thing."

"That's bull Michael, and I don't want to hear it.  You can do it and you know it.  You just don't do it because you don't want to make yourself vulnerable through your art," Amy snaps at him.  "Now you're a part of my family, and in my family, I'm the boss.  So don't give me any crap.  Pick up those glasses and start looking!"

Michael quickly complied and for the next four hours, he and Amy observed and took notes.  Shortly before 4:00 a.m., Philip and Liz arrive and carry on a whispered conversation with Amy and Michael, as they shared their observations with the two newcomers.   Amy and Michael trudge back to their car, while Liz and Philip set up their own observation center.

"Well, I don't have Michael's artistic ability, but I do have a camera with a telephoto lens so we can snap some shots of the bad guys."

"Cool, where'd you get that Mr. Evans?"

Philip had the grace to look ashamed as he admitted to buying to use when he decided to spy on Max.  "But it's being used for a far more noble purpose now," he jokes with Liz.  "And Liz, I know we've never really had the opportunity to get to know each other, but you are married to my son.  Do you think you could manage to call me Philip?"

"I'd like that," Liz says shyly.  For several hours, they make small talk, and jot down several observations.  Shortly after the son begins to peak over the eastern horizon, Liz starts to stare intently at the building.  "Wait, something's going on over there."  She grabs a set of binoculars and focuses on the front door.  "That's him," she says under her breath.

"That's who?" asks Philip, looking through his own set of binoculars.

"Well, I know him as Dr. Henderson.  He was my supervisor at the last hospital I worked in, but Isabelle thinks that he is Kivar.  He's the monster that started all of this."

Philip looks again through the glasses, then grabs the camera and snaps a few photos of the man.  "Well, monster he may be, but if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have Max, Isabelle or Michael."

"Well, that's true, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to kill him nevertheless.  I wonder if I could blast him from here?" she muses out loud.

"You're not really going to try that are you?" Philip asks worriedly.  "We are just supposed to be observing here."

"Don't worry," she laughs.  "I won't really, but it sure feels good thinking about it."  There is more movement at the building and Liz raises the glasses to her face again.  "Oh look, there is the estimable Agent Feltcher on the left.  I don't know who the guy is on the other side of Kivar."

Philip raises the camera and snaps photos of the two new arrivals.  "Who is Feltcher?"

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, he's more like Barney Fife than anything else.  He is a total bumbling idiot.  He was the one tracking us the last place we lived."

"Well, he couldn't have been too incompetent if he managed to trail you this far."

"Not really, they planted tracking devices on us, but we found them and got rid of them."

"And yet, here they are," Philip counters.

"That's true," she admits.  "I guess we're just working under the assumption that they knew we'd eventually come back here."

"Maybe, but it's something that bears looking into," Philip says as he looks at his watch.  "Hmmm, it's 7:30, Kyle and Diane should be showing up anytime now."

"Are you speaking of us," whispers Diane as she and Kyle approach the stand of trees.

"Prompt as always," jokes Philip.  "Remember that Liz, men love a woman who is on time."

"We moved your car to an access road about a mile in that direction," Kyle says pointing to the left, after greeting Liz and Philip.  "We figured there was bound to be some activity on the main drive here and we didn't want to take any chances."

"Good thinking," Liz says and she proceeds to fill Kyle and Diane Evans in on what they saw during their shift.    She showed them Michael's sketches, and Philip showed them how to work the camera.  As they were preparing to leave, Diane hugs Liz and whispers "Thank you for bringing my son home."  Liz just hugs her back and smiles at her.

Kyle and Diane's shift passed uneventfully, as did those of Max and Nancy and Geoff and Maria.  All three groups snapped photos of unidentified Antarians and noted down the comings and goings, but that was it. Jim and Isabelle arrived for the final shift of the night and settled down.  "I'm sorry I had to switch with Geoff tonight Isabelle, but I got stuck pulling an extra shift today.  I hated like hell to leave Maria and Geoff out here, but there wasn't any way around it."

"Well, if it's any consolation, they all had a really quite day," Isabelle says.  "Maybe we'll have a quite night as well."  Both hope for an uneventful and quiet night, but they don't get their wish.  At around 10:00 at night, bright bursts of light began to emanate from the building.

"What the hell was that?" questions the sheriff.

"I don't know, but we need to get closer and find out," Isabelle answers.

"Isabelle, we can't.  It's too dangerous for us to try that."

"Damn, I know, but I feel so helpless just sitting here."  She grabs the night vision glasses and raises them up to her eyes.  "Oh my God!  Jim, how many people did everyone observe during the day?"

"Between eight and ten I think?  Why?"

"Because there are at least 20 people in there now.  I think those flashes of light we've been seeing are more of Kivar's army joining him.  He's preparing for a war!"


	51. chapter 51

**Part 51**

Jim and Isabelle didn't waste any time discussing the situation, they just grabbed their belongings and headed out to the car.  Panting slightly from the exertion, Jim asks Isabelle to explain again what she saw.

"Look, lets just get out of here.  I'll explain it all again when we're all together," she says as the reach their hidden vehicle.  They stow their belongings in the back, and are just about to climb in when Isabelle raises a cautioning hand to Jim.  In the distance they hear the indistinct sound of voices.  Isabelle quietly makes her way in the direction of the voices, motioning for Jim to stay behind.  Jim didn't want Isabelle going anywhere on his own, but there was no way to stop her without drawing attention to them.  

After fifteen long agonizing minutes, Isabelle sneaks back and climbs into the car.  She nods to Jim, and he starts the SUV and the two head back to the cabin.

"Isabelle, what happened, what did you hear?"

"I don't want to talk about it now, Jim.  Please, lets just wait until we're all together.

Jim agrees because he knows arguing with Isabelle is an exercise in futility.  Within a short time, they arrive at the cabin.  Isabelle jumps out of the vehicle before Jim even has a chance to stop it completely, and she rushes inside.  Jim makes quick work of parking and rushes inside to join the others.  Isabelle is sitting in a chair, her face dead white.

"Dad, what the hell happened to her?" Kyle demands as he tries to get Isabelle to drink a glass of water.

Jim quickly fills them in on what they observed inside of the factory.  When he explains about the arrival of more Antarians, Isabelle stands up and starts speaking.

"There was a flash of light, which was almost blinding because of the night vision goggles, but when I looked again, there were more people in the room."

"Well, maybe they were like the second shift and had been sleeping all day," Maria contributes hopefully."

"No," says Isabelle, shooting her a look of disbelief.  "Not dressed in the nice shiny space suit things they were wearing."

"Didn't anyone tell them the correct phrase is beam me UP Scotty, not beam me DOWN," quips Kyle, trying to break the tension.

"Shut up Valenti," Michael says.  "Iz, what happened after that?"

"Well, we started to get out of there, but I heard a noise, so I left Jim back at the car and went to investigate."  
  
"You what?" explodes her father.  "Don't you think that was dangerous Isabelle?"

"Right Dad, like my whole life hasn't been dangerous.  Anyhow, I snuck closer, and it was Jesse and another guy, and they were arguing.  The first guy kept asking Jesse what he had told Kivar, but Jesse wouldn't answer him.  The argument escalated, when suddenly, the other guy stepped back from Jesse, and he started to really concentrate hard, then he asked Jesse again what he had told Kivar.  Jesse finally answered and said he told Kivar exactly what he wanted to hear."

"Oh Isabelle," cries Liz as she rushes over to hug her sister-in-law.  "I'm sorry, I really really am sorry.  Is there anything else you want to tell us, or do you want to stop for a while?"

"No, I'll keep going, I just want to get it over with.  This guy, I think Jess called him Naloch asked Jesse to tell him exactly what he told Kivar, when all of a sudden, Jesse passed out.  This Naloch was really angry and complained that he was having a difficult time using his powers in our atmosphere, and that he hoped they stabilized after a few days.  Then he grabbed Jesse and started dragging him back to the building.  That's when I took off."

"Ok, this is good," says Michael.  "We can use this."

"How can you say it's good Michael?" says Maria.  "Look at Isabelle.  She's torn apart.  How can any of this be good?"

"Because we know Kivar's bringing in reinforcements, and we know their powers are out of whack.  If we act now, we stand a good chance of bringing them down."

"Michaels right" says Max. "We can't put this off any longer.  We have to move in tomorrow.  Is everybody clear on their roles?"

The others nod in agreement.  "Well then, I suggest we all get some sleep.  Tomorrow's going to be a busy day," he says grabbing a sleeping bag.  He looks at Liz and she wordlessly follows him out the door.  Once they are outside, Max takes her hand, and they walk down by the lake to a secluded little stand of trees they had seen earlier.  Spreading the sleeping bag out on the ground, they quickly shed their clothing and climb inside together.

"Max, I love you," Liz says as she presses kisses along his neck.  "I don't think I want tomorrow to come."

"I don't either Liz, but it always does, nothing will ever change that, and live or die, the tomorrows keep coming."

"Cut the profound crap Max and take advantage of me already," Liz says.  And so he does.  After their lovemaking is complete, they lay together, wrapped in each other's arms.

"Max," she whispers.  "Are you asleep?"

"Yes," he says in a drowsy voice.

"Good, listen, I was wrong before.  I don't care about tomorrow anymore because we have right now, and nothing can ever be better than that."


	52. chapter 52

 Part 52 

The sun peeks over the horizon, turning the lighting the sky with the palest shades of gold and pink.  Max kisses his wife awake, and the two greet the dawn in their own personal way.  After the sun fully rises, the two climb from their sleeping bag and head back into the cabin.  Michael and Maria are sitting on the steps with steaming mugs of coffee in their hands, also enjoying the new morning.  Wordlessly, Michael points towards another part of the beach where a large flat stone lays.  Max and Liz look to where he is pointing, and there sits Kyle, facing the newly risen sun while he meditates.  Coming down the path at a fast clip, Isabelle finishes her morning jog and starts stretching to cool down.  Kyle finishes his meditation and walks back to join the others.  Silently, the six friends sit, not speaking, but enjoying these last few peaceful minutes together.  Each one knowing, they could be their last.

From inside the cabin, Nancy Parker peaks out through the curtained windows to watch her daughter and her friends.  Tears slowly slip down her cheeks.  Geoff joins her at the window and slips his arm around her waist.  "Look at them," he whispers.  "They are so accepting of what may happen.  How did they get so strong?"

"They're that strong, because they had to be," says Jim joining them at the window.  "Max Isabelle and Michael worked so hard to keep everybody out of their little circle, but all of that changed the day Max saved Liz.  Michael and Isabelle were so certain Max had made a mistake, and had jeopardized them all, but now they all know that together they are far stronger than they are apart."

"Those poor kids.  They've had to face so much.  Things nobody should ever have to cope with.  It's amazing that they've survived this long," says Philip from the sofa by the fireplace.

"Not poor, never poor," says Jim.  "They don't think that about themselves, and I'll be damned if we're going to start thinking that way now!  Those are six of the strongest kids I have ever seen.  They'll get through this like they have every other crisis they've faced.  With strength, grit determination, and a lot of luck!"

Amy is about to say something when the door opens and the 6 kids walk inside.  By unspoken agreement, each one of them goes to stand by their parents.  Michael hesitates for a second, but Diane reaches out a hand and pulls her to him and hugs him tightly.

"It's 6:30," says Max, finally breaking the silence.  "You all had best head back to town, and get ready.  We'll meet you at the CrashDown at 9:00.   At that time, Mom, you will act as the real estate agent and escort Michael and Liz into the building, along with Geoff.  Dad, you, and Maria and Nancy and Amy will be holding down the perimeter, making sure nobody slips out.  Jim, Isabelle, Kyle and I will sneak in through the loading docks.  Is everybody clear on what they will be doing?"  One by one they nod, Maria starts to speak up, but having second thoughts, she closes her mouth abruptly.  "Maria, I know you want to be on the inside, but you don't have any powers and you can't handle a weapon very well.  We need you outside for your own safety," Max says, answering her unspoken comments.  "Besides, we need you on the outside.  You're coordinating the communications.  Kyle, don't forget, you're role is key here.  Try to keep the lines of communication open with Liz or Michael at all times."

"I've been meaning to ask, how is he going to do that.  Won't a walkie-talkie be noticeable?" asks Jim.

"Oh, didn't I tell you dad," says Kyle with a small grin.

"Tell me what?"

_I can talk to you telepathically now.  See look, no lips_, Kyle says in his father's mind.

"Jesus, Kyle, tell someone before you do that.  Great telepathy, is this something I have to look forward to also?"

"I don't know Dad," Kyle answers.  "Liz didn't get it, but she gets the visions instead."

"Yeah, speaking of which, has the Crystal Ball gotten anything lately," says Michael.  

"Don't call me that Guerin, and no, I haven't had a vision since that last one where Maria, Kyle and I were trying to hook up with Max and Isabelle."

"Damn, that would have been to helpful I suppose," Michael grumbles.

"Come on Michael, it's not like I can turn it on like a television you know," Liz says.

"Will you all just shut up!" Isabelle speaks for the first time all morning.  "I can't deal with your childish squabbling right now.  I just want this over with."

"Look Isabelle," Liz snaps, her eyes flashing with anger.  "We've excused your behavior time and again because God knows what you are dealing with right now is horrible, but guess what.  We're all dealing with it too, and if this childish squabbling as you call it helps us get through it, then so be it."  

An uncomfortable silence fills the room.  Liz grabs a jacket and heads outside.   _I don't care_, she thinks to herself.   Someone had to say it.  She isn't the only one trying to cope with a lot right now._  I don't even think she realizes we all might die today.  All she can focus on is Jesse.  _A door clicks behind her and in a matter of moments, Isabelle joins Liz outside.

"Liz, I'm sorry.  I overreacted, that's all there is too it.  There isn't anything I can say to excuse myself.  To be honest, I don't want to excuse myself.  I said it, it's over with, and I just want to move on.  Can we do that?"

"Yeah Isabelle, we can do that.  Life is to short to worry about stupid outbursts on anyone's part.  Especially now."

"Especially now," Isabelle agrees.  The door opens again, and the parents walk outside to get into their cars to head back to town. Isabelle and Liz hug their parents, and watch as they drive off in their cars.

"Well, this is it," Liz says.  "Lets head inside and get the others.  One way or another, it all ends today."


	53. chapter 53

Part 53

Isabelle takes one last look around the cabin, to make sure they haven't left anything behind.  Over on the table is a Boston Red Sox cap that belongs to Kyle.  She picks it up and looks at it wistfully.  Kyle, climbing down the wooden ladder to the loft sees the look on her face.  "What's up Isabelle?"

"Oh, Kyle, I thought I was alone in here."

"Well, obviously, you're not.  Now come on, what's up?  Is it Jesse?"

"Yes. No. I don't know," she cries.

"Well, that really cleared it up for me, thanks Isabelle," he says as he continues down the ladder.  "Look, if you want to talk, I'll listen, I always do, but I can't deal with this wishy washy attitude poor me attitude you've had lately."

Isabelle whirls around, her eyes flashing fire.  "MY WHAT!" she shouts.  "Excuse me for being in conflict here.  My life is in a shambles, I may die today, my husband has either betrayed me or is controlled by my lover from a past life who is here bent on destroying us, and you are saying I'm having a wishy washy me attitude.  Well you and all the others can just shove it up your!"

"Isabelle," Kyle interrupts.  "Do you feel better now?"

"No, I feel damn angry, that's how I feel.  I am sick to death of everyone criticizing me right now.  I know I've been kind of a bitch lately, but I can't help it.  It's not like I'm acting this way on purpose.  And personally, I think all of you have been pretty damn selfish about recognizing the conflict I'm trying to deal with right now."

"Isabelle," Kyle says.

"And another thing, I thought all of you liked Jesse.  Why is everyone so quick to doubt him and assume he is a traitor?  Why aren't you all just jumping up ready to save him?"

"Isabelle?"

"And another thing, why is it that,"

"ISABELLE!" Kyle shouts.  "Will you shut up for a second and listen to me.  Did you ever, for once think, and I mean really think about how this is affecting everybody else?  They are just about as torn up as you over Jesse.  Maybe even more so on some level.  We managed to protect everyone except for him.  How do you think that is making us feel?  He risked a lot to help us escape and this is how we repay him, but letting him get captured by Kivar and mind rapped.  And just suppose he has been working willingly with Kivar all along.  Isabelle, he fooled all of us.  Every single one of us gave him our seal of approval, so if we're not acting appropriately according to the Isabelle rule book, that's why."

"I, I never thought of any of that," Isabelle says slowly.

"No, of course you didn't, and none of us expected you to.  We get how hard this is for you right now, but I think, we all think you should know us well enough to excuse a momentary lapse on our part."

"God, I've been such an ass, haven't I?"  
  
"No, you've been a woman torn apart; it's understandable, really.  But, we've been struggling with it too, and I think you are forgetting about that."

"No, Kyle, not forgetting, not even thinking about it," Isabelle admits ruefully.  "I guess I have been kind of selfish at that."

"Damn it, Isabelle, that's NOT what I'm saying, now will you pay attention!" shouts Kyle.  "Just once, see what's right before your face."

Isabelle takes the baseball cap she's been holding all this time, and places it on her head.  "I think I get it Kyle, I really do.  Do you mind if I wear this for luck?  That way, if something does happen, and I don't make it out, I'll at least have a piece of my very best friend with me when I die."

Kyle feels his heart plunge to his feet once again, but he dredges up a smile and reaches over and adjusts the cap on her head.  "You're not going to die, and of course you can wear my hat.  And Isabelle, I'll always be your friend.  I only wish," he pauses.

"I know Kyle, I really do, but it isn't, and in a way, I'm glad.  I couldn't stand it if anything got in the way of our being friends.  You know, there are things you know about that I never told Jesse.  I love you Kyle, and I always will, no matter what happens in our lives.  There is something between us, a bond, and it can't be broken, not ever."

Kyle says nothing, but stands up and holds his hand out to Isabelle.  She takes it and the two of them walk out of the cabin together towards a very uncertain future.


	54. chapter 54

Part 54 

The nondescript sedan with Roswell Realty on the door makes it's way up to the building.

"Sir, someone is approaching, should I notify Kivar?"

"Wait just a moment Janid, let us see who it is," answers Naloch.  "No sense in bothering His Excellency if it is something trivial."

"What is trivial?" asks Kivar as he enters the room.

"Possibly nothing Sir," says Naloch as both he and Janid bow respectfully.  "A car is approaching, and I thought it best to assess the situation before we disturbed you."

"That is wise Naloch, I have far more pressing matters to deal with than the," he pauses to look out the window at the car.  "The Roswell Realty Company.  As soon as you are certain this isn't something dreamed up by that idiotic Zan and that band of simpletons, send them on their way."

"Aye Sir," says Naloch, turning towards the stairs.  "I will handle it with the greatest expediency."

"Naloch, wait," Kivar says raising his hand.  "I've changed my mind.  I believe I shall accompany you to greet these people."

Naloch's face betrays nothing as he follows Kivar down the stairs.  In the lobby, they wait and watch as three people emerge from the car.  An older woman emerges from the drivers seat, her black hair is swept up into a no nonsense bun.  From the passenger seat, an older man, wearing a black Stetson hat and a duster emerges.  From the back seat, a young woman with blonde hair styled in what could only be called 80's country music big hair scrambles out.  Her feet are encased in red leather boots, into which skintight blue jeans have been tucked.  Her shirt, or what there is of it is cut tight and low, to make the most of her obvious assets.  The three walk towards the building.

"I'm assuming Sir that the older woman is the realtor and the gentleman is her customer.  As to the identity of the younger woman, I cannot wager a guess."

"Naloch, Naloch, I must be working you too hard if you can't guess what she is," laughs Kivar.  "She is obviously what these simple Earth people call his midlife crisis.  On second thought, don't hurry them on their way, this could be quite entertaining."

From the outside of the building, Diane fumbles with the key and finally opens the door.  Walking inside, she continues the real estate spiel.  "And as you can see, the lobby is very large, and will enable you to have a large reception," she pauses, looking at Naloch and Kivar.  "Hello, are you hear to see the building as well?  I don't recall setting up any other appointments for this building today.  Oh wait, I bet you talked to that no good tramp Tammy in the office.  She is forever trying to steal my listings.  Well, if you are interested in this building, you'll have to go through me.  My name is Betty McCarthy, and you are?"

"Oh, please excuse my most appalling manners.  I am Gerald Henderson, and this is my associate, Ben Nabor.  We are indeed interested in this building."

"Now just one danged minute there!" shouts Philip.  "I am J.C. Simpson from Dallas, and I'm interested in this here building.  I had an appointment and if anyone is buying this building, it's me!"

"Well, of course Mr. Simpson," says Kivar smoothly  "I completely understand.  You have an appointment with the realtor, and we are merely interlopers, but perhaps you will allow us to tour the building with you, and if you are not interested, my associate and I will most likely make an offer."

"Well now, I don't know about that.  Ms. McCarthy, what do you think?"  Diane pauses for a moment, unsure of how to answer when Liz says, "Oh J.C. you silly thing.  Let these fine gentlemen join us.  That way I'll have someone to talk with while you and this nice Ms. McCarthy talk."

"Well lamb chop, if you want it, you've got it.  Anything to make my little Candy happy.  Gentlemen, allow me to introduce Candy.  She's my secretary," Philip says with a wink.

"We are pleased to meet you Candy, and we are both delighted join you on this tour.

"Well, yes, then why don't we begin," stammers Diane.  A loud crash from the upper level of the building startles all of them.

"Oh, I believe that is some loose shelving," says Kivar smoothly.  When the others look at him questioningly, he continues.  "My associate and I had already begun to explore the building when we saw you arrive.  Why don't I just check upstairs to make sure that's all it is?  Ben, if you would please?"

Naloch and Kivar walk quickly up the stairs.  As soon as they are out of sight, Philip grabs Diane and starts to push her towards the door.  "Get out now, before they come back.  Meet up with the others and let them know what's going on."

"How are you going to explain my being missing?"

"Simple," answers Liz.  "Walk out the door shouting back to us about some contracts you left in the car."

"Be careful you too," she says softly, then in a louder voice, "Mr. Simpson, I left the contracts out in the car, I'm just going to run out and get them."

"Take your time Ms. McCarthy.  Candy and I are just going to take a look around."

"Where is Ms. McCarthy going?" a voice from above questions.  Philip looks up and sees Naloch looking down from the upper level.

"She left the contracts in her car, so she went outside to get them.  I tell you, it just proves my point that women are just too scatterbrained to work anywhere.  They just don't have the head for big business."

"J.C., I'm bored," Liz, whines in her best airhead bimbo voice.  "You promised me we'd go to Vegas today."

"We will kitten we will.  I just need to take care of a little business.  I'll tell you what, why don't you take a look around this floor and find a nice place for your office."

"What a wonderful idea," says Naloch.  "And please, don't be afraid if you bump into anyone else.  We brought several contractors with us to look over the building before making bids on its renovations."

"Ok," says Liz, flashing him a big smile.  Turning to Philip she nods slightly and then crosses the lobby and opens a door to the interior of the building.  She opens a small office door, and the first person she sees is the erstwhile Agent Feltcher.  "Hi there," she says brightly.  "My name's Candy, who are you?"  She holds out her hand to shake his, but when he steps close enough to take her hand, she places her hand on his chest and focuses all her power into that hand.  Within a matter of seconds Feltcher falls to the ground, and his body disintegrates into a pile of ashes.

"Cool," Liz giggles slightly hysterically.  "Just like Buffy."  Grabbing a folder from an abandoned desk, she flaps at the ashes and sends them floating throughout the room.

_Well, cleanup's a snap_, she thinks to herself.  

_Liz, what's going on_, Kyle's voice says in her head.  

_I'm inside.  Max's dad is in the lobby.  Kivar and one of his henchmen are upstairs, and Max's mother is on her way out to meet up with the others.  Listen, I killed one of them already._

_You did WHAT?_ Kyle shouts.  _You killed one of them.  What happened, are you ok?_

_Shut up and listen.  I put my hand on his chest and focused all my power into that one hand, and he just, well, he disintegrated.  If we can take some of them out that way, we stand a better chance of surviving._

_God Liz, be careful._

_I will, you too, and tell Max…_

_I know you love him.  I will, and just to save time, he loves you back_.

Liz smiles a little as she feels the connection with Kyle break.  She opens the office door and peers into the corridor.  Once she is certain nobody else is there, she steps out and continues down the hall.  Opening another door, she finds 3 others inside.  _Three of them?_ she thinks to herself.  _How the hell am I going to manage this one?_ Suddenly, she gets an idea.

"Hi, I'm Candy.  That nice Mr. Henderson said it was ok for me to look around, but now I can't find my way back to the lobby.  Would one of you kind gentlemen help me?"

The three Antarians look at each other, unsure of what to do.  Finally one of them steps forward and grabs Liz roughly by the arm.  "Come with me, I'll take you to him.  Bashton come, help me escort this person to Henderson.  The shortest of the trio steps takes Liz's other arm, and the two drag her out into the hallway.  Pretending to stumble, she yanks one arm free from her captor and places it on his chest.  As before, he crumbles into a pile of dust.  Whirling around, she places her hand on the other man's chest and repeats the procedure.  She then opens the office door and sticks her head back inside.  "Um, we seem to have a little problem out here, can you help us?"  The unsuspecting Antarian walks over to her.  Again, Liz places her hand on his chest and focuses, but nothing happens.

"Oh shit," she yells as she runs for the door, but she isn't quick enough, as the Antarian reaches out and grabs her and shoves her to the ground.


	55. chapter 55

Part 55 

Michael holds up a hand, signaling the others to wait for a moment.  He scouts ahead, then comes back and signals the others to follow him.  As one, Max, Isabelle, Kyle and Jim move forward and climb up on the loading dock.  Kyle points over to a door and telepathically lets Michael know that it was the door to the sub-basement that they had seen on the blueprints.  Michael nods, and Kyle makes his way over to the door and opens it.  He heads down to the sub-basement and in a moment the others here his voice in their minds telling them it is safe to come down.

Almost as if they are a single unit, the others move towards the door and descend into the sub-basement.  "Great going Kyle, you found this place with no problems," says Max moving towards Kyle, but Kyle is ignoring him.  He concentrates, his eyes focusing on something unseen, his lips moving silently.  "Shhh," whispers Isabelle.  "He must be talking to Liz."

"What is she saying, is she alright?" Max questions.

"Max, be quiet and let him concentrate, will you," says Isabelle.

Kyle turns to look at Max and the others.  "Well, first off, she says she loves you."

"Tell her I," Max starts.

"I already did," Kyle answers.  "Now, your Mom's outside, your dad is in the lobby, and Liz is inside, checking things out."

"That's great," said Jim.  "Sounds like things are proceeding according to plan."

"Well, there's more," said Kyle.  "Apparently, she killed one of the Antarians."

"What!" yells Max, his voice echoing in the cavernous sub-basement.  "How did she do that?  What happened?"

Kyle waited until Max calmed down and then proceeded to tell them everything Liz had said leaving out how shaken she had sounded when he first contacted her.

"Cool," said Michael.  "That will make things a lot easier.  Score one for the walking talking crystal ball."

"Yeah, but can we all do it?" asks Jim.  "I haven't really practiced too much with my powers yet.  It hasn't been safe."

"All we can do is try," says Max.  "But make sure you stick with one of us at all times.  We can't risk anything happening to you Jim."

"Ok, we really should move out," says Michael.  "Isabelle, you and Kyle take that staircase, and Max, Jim and I will go up this way," he continues pointing to the stairs in the back of the basement.  Kyle, make sure to check in with us every 15 minutes or so, okay?"

Kyle nods, and the two groups split up and go their separate ways.  Michael leads the others up the stairs.  Using his powers, he opens the locked door and eases it open slightly.  He peers around the door to make sure nobody is around.  He is just about to motion to Max and Jim to follow him, when a door opens and a man steps into the hall.  Michael waits until the man is almost right in front of him, and reaches out and pulls him into the stairwell.  Holding one hand over his mouth, he uses his other hand to press against his chest and hold him against the now closed door.  He focuses all his energy they way Kyle described and feels it flow down his arm and into his hand.  Just as Kyle had said, the man's body simply crumbles up into a pile of dust.  "Wow," Michael says, his voice trembling a little.  "That could be considered almost cool, in a really sick way that is."

"Well, it certainly does even up the odds a bit, doesn't it?" asks Jim.  "If we can take them out one by one, it will be safer for all of us."

"Yeah," agrees Max shaken by what he just witnessed.  "Michael, are you ok?" he asks, showing concern for his friend.

"Yeah, I'll be alright, and Max, Liz will too," he says reading his friends unspoken worry for his wife.  "She's a strong strong woman.  She can handle this."

"Thanks Michael," Max says.

"Do you want me to take the lead for a while Michael?" asks Jim.  He too is shaken by what he has seen.  

"No, I'm ok, lets just get the hell out of here and find that bastard Kivar."  He opens the door again and looks out and makes sure it is safe.  Nobody is in sight, so he steps out into the hallway, followed by Jim, then Max.  Moving down the hall, they look into the various offices, only to find them empty.  The next door they try is locked.  Michael looks back at Max, and he nods.  Michael places his hand over the look and the door pops open.  Cautiously pushing the door open, he peers inside.  Lying on the floor is a body.  He steps inside and reaches for the body to roll it over.  When the face comes into view, he sees that it's a badly beaten Jesse.  Max comes into the room and kneels down beside him, while Jim guards the door.

"Jesse, wake up," he says slapping him lightly on the cheek; he tries to wake him up.

"Max, it's no good, he's out cold," whispers Michael.

"Ok, look, I'll heal him as best I can, you get him out of here.  Take him to Maria, and tie him up good.  We don't know if we can trust him, but I'm not going to leave him here," says Max.

"No way, let Valenti take him.  I'm not leaving you."

"Michael, you have to.  It has to be you.  We don't know if Jim has enough control over his powers to send him off alone.  Besides, we have to do this for Isabelle.  She's right, if it were Maria or Liz, we wouldn't hesitate.  Jesse deserves the same.  He put himself on the line for us.  We have to get him out of here."

"Max, he could be the one who betrayed us!" Michael whispers fiercely.  

"Yeah, he could be, but there is also a chance he is being controlled by them.  Michael, we have to do this, you **know** that."

"Yeah, I do," he admits, but I hate leaving you here."

"Listen, we'll go back to the basement and wait for you there, and we won't leave unless we have to.  If Kyle contacts you, let him know that we got Jesse out.  Have him tell Isabelle he's safe."

"Ok, but do not leave that basement unless it's an emergency.  Now, if you're going to heal him, hurry up and do it so we can get out of here."

Max quickly does what he can to heal Jesse's wounds, then he and Michael lift Jesse up under his arms and start to carry him out.  With Jim in the lead, they make their way back to the basement and down the stairs.  They help Michael get Jesse off the loading dock and then head back inside to wait.  While they are waiting, Max and Jim discuss Jesse.  "I still can't believe Kyle did that much damage to Jesse," Max says.

"I don't think he did," admits Jim.  "Some of those wounds were fresh, but you could see where Kyle dragged his nails across Jesse's face had already started to heal.  I think your friends up there did that."  He looks at Max, but he appears to be listening to something.

After several minutes, he turns to Jim.  "That was Kyle," he says needlessly.  "He and Isabelle are fine, and I told them about Jesse.  They haven't run into any other Antarians yet, and he's going to try and contact Liz now."

"I wish we had a better idea of how many people they brought down," says Jim.

"Never mind that," says Max urgently.  "Kyle just contacted Liz, she's been captured.  We have to find her, now!"


	56. chapter 56

**Part 56**

Michael carries Jesse into a stand of trees where Maria is hiding and guarding the perimeter with Geoff Parker.

"Oh my God," she exclaims.  "You got him out."

"Talk about stating the obvious Maria," Michael shoots back. "Look do you have any rope in any of those packs?  Max doesn't want us to leave him unless he's tied up."

"Yeah, here's some," says Geoff, rummaging through one of the bags.  "Here you go."

The two make short work of tying Jesse up, and Michael explains what has occurred inside, trying to edit out Liz's role for the benefit of Mr. Parker.

"Look Michael, I know there are things you are leaving out.  How is Lizzie doing?  Has Kyle contacted you about her?"

"Yeah, actually he has," Michael admits.  "She's the one who figured out how to kill these guys."

"Damn," Geoff says.  "None of you should have to deal with any of this."

"Yeah, well, we do," Michael answers simply.  "Hopefully, it will all end here.  Can you make sure those ropes are tight Mr. Parker.  I don't want to leave him here with you and Maria unless I know he's secure."

As Geoff bends down to check the ropes, Michael pulls Maria aside.  "Maria, shut up and listen, Kyle contacted me just as I was coming out with Jesse.  Liz has been captured.  That's all he knows.  He can't seem to contact her anymore."

"I'm going in with you," Maria says.

"Maria, you can't, it's too dangerous."

"Look Space Boy, you knew this was going to happen when you told me, and you know I'm going to win, so just save the arguments and let's get back inside."

Michael, who knew he was beaten before this battle had begun, capitulates, and then asks, "How are you going to explain this to Liz's Dad?"  She shoots him a look that clearly states that he's an idiot and says, "Simple, just tell him Max contacted you via Kyle and wants me in."  She walks off, shaking her head, wondering how Michael Guerin had survived for so long before he knew her.

Michael follows Maria's plan and tells Geoff that Max wants her in.  The older man is clearly unhappy, but agrees and watches as the two sneak back to the loading dock.  Once inside, Michael looks around, finds a piece of pipe, picks it up and hands it to Maria.  "Use this if you have to Maria, promise me."

"I will, believe me I will.  If those bastards have hurt Liz in any way, I'll kill them all myself," Maria said, her voice full of resolve.

Michael didn't have any reason to doubt her at all.

"Hey," says Maria looking around the dank basement.  "Where are Valenti and Max?"

Michael snorts and looks at her.  "Did you really think he was going to wait when he found out she was in danger?  He would have waited about as well as you would have stayed behind."

"No, I suppose not.  Well, come on," she says, tightening her grip on the length of pipe.  "Lets go find them and kick some alien ass."

Michael retraces his path back up the stairs to the door, again he peers around it to make sure they are unobserved and he and Maria step out into the hallway.  Michael takes them in the direction that he Max and Jim had taken earlier.  Michael points to a pile of dust and tells Maria that was the alien he destroyed.  "Nice," she comments.  "Remind me to invest in vacuum cleaner stock."

Done the hallway, a door opens.  Michael grabs Maria and shoves her into an empty room.  Looking out through the partially opened door he tries to see who is coming.  Without warning, the door is pulled from his hands and flung open.  Maria doesn't hesitate, but raises the pipe and prepares to crush the skull of whoever passes through the door.

"Jesus Maria, will you watch where you're swinging that thing," Kyle says, stopping the pipe with his hand.  "I only have one skull you know."

"Kyle, Isabelle, any word on Liz?" Michael asks.

"No nothing," says Kyle dejectedly.  "I can't get anything from her.  It's like she's unconscious, or worse."

"How about Max, do you know where he is?"

"Yeah, he and my dad went the opposite way down this corridor."

"Ok, look, contact them and get them back here.  We need to be together now.  Liz said we're stronger together than apart, and she's right."

Kyle contacts Max and in a short time, everyone is together.  Max isn't surprised to see Maria there.  He doesn't say anything, but he hugs her tightly.

"Don't worry, we'll find her," Maria whispers.

"Michael how was Jesse?" Isabelle asks.

"Well, he hadn't regained consciousness before we left, but he's with Liz's dad.  He'll take care of him."

"Thanks for getting him out."

"What else did you expect us to do?" he asks, and in the next breath, "Never mind, don't answer that."

"Look we need to focus on Liz right now," says Jim, bringing everybody back to the terrible reality they faced.

"Jim's right," says Isabelle.  "We have to find her.  Kyle and I came down this corridor, and it's completely empty.  Max, what did you and Jim find?"

"Well, we had just come to another stairwell when Kyle contacted us.  I think we should head back there and see what we can find."

They all agree and make their way down the deserted hallway to the staircase.  Michael takes the lead and climbs the stairs.  At the next level, he opens the door and steps out into a dark hallway.  At the end of the hallway is a glass door.  He moves to the door and peers out into the lobby of the building.  Max's father is nowhere in site, but he does see two other men standing there.  One of them, Isabelle identifies as Kivar, but she isn't sure who the other one is.  Kivar looks as though he is yelling at the other man.  Kivar raises his arm to strike the other man, but he manages to duck the blow by moving.  As he steps away from Kivar, the others are able to see Liz's body, lying on the ground.


	57. chapter 57

**Part 57**

"Get out of my way, I have to get to he," Max shouts as he tries to shove Michael out of his way.  Jim and Kyle grab him and hold him back.

"Max, get a hold of yourself," Jim says shoving Max against the wall.  "You can't go rushing out there.  Give us a few minutes.  Let's assess the situation, and we'll figure something out.  We're not going to leave Liz there."  
"Max, Jim is right, we'll get Liz.  We're not going to leave her behind, but you've got to give us a chance to figure everything out.  If you go rushing out there, you are going to get yourself killed.  What good is that going to do?"

"But it's Liz out there, I have to get to her."

"Right, and not too long ago, it was Jesse, and you got him out.  We'll get Liz out to," Isabelle says to her distraught brother.  "Now shut up and let us come up with a plan."

"Um, I think you should all shut up for a minute and listen to me," says Maria.  "Liz is awake out there.  She's not unconscious."

"That's impossible," Kyle says hotly.  "I haven't been able to contact her."

"Look, I don't know about earlier, but right now, out there, she's awake."

"Maria," Michael says.  "How can you be sure?"

"Ok, when we were in junior high, I had an awful time with spelling, I still do as a matter of fact.  Anyhow, Liz and I were studying sign language and we learned how to spell things out with our fingers.  We used it then so she could help me with my spelling tests."

"As interesting as this trip down memory lane is Maria," snaps Max.  "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Look at her hands, she's trying to tell us something."

Max whips around and looks back out the glass door and sure enough, Liz is lying on her side, using her body to block her hand from view, and it is moving.  "Well, what is she saying?" he demands.

"God Max, give me a second, will you.  We are talking something we did in junior high, in far less stressful circumstances."  Maria moves closer to the door and concentrates.  "A-L-L-I-E-S.  Allies?  What does she mean by that?  Wait, she's spelling something else.  W-E-H-A-V-E-A-L-L-I-E-S."

"We have allies," says Jim.  "Damn, what does she mean?"

"I don't know, but we can't sit here all day trying to figure it out," says Max.  "We have to figure out something, and we have to do it fast."

"I'm afraid we don't have time for that Max," says Maria.  "She says we should attack now."

Without hesitation Michael pushes to the front and opens the door, and charges out, flanked by Max and Kyle.  Jim and Isabelle follow them, with Maria bringing up the rear.

As they charge forward, the lobby fills with bodies.  Kivar calls his men to arms, and they line up in formation against the others.  With Kivar's attention focused elsewhere, Liz takes the opportunity to stand up and move beside her husband for their final showdown.

Outside the building, Geoff keeps watch over Jesse who has finally woken up.  For the longest time, he is incoherent, but as time passes, his speech clears up, but what he is saying terrifies Geoff.  Making a decision, he radios the others to rendezvous with him.  In about 15 minutes the others arrive.  Amy notices right away that her daughter is missing.    
"Geoff, where's Maria?" she asks, her voice trembling slightly in fear of the answer.

"She went back in with Michael.  They said Max contacted them via Kyle and he wanted her in there, but I'm not sure if I believe it.  I think something happened in there.  I think they have Liz."  Nancy gasps in shock, and Geoff hangs his head with his pronouncement and then looks back up at the others.  "But that's not why I called you, it's this."  He steps aside and they see Jesse, tied to a tree.

"Jesse!" Diane gasps as she instinctively moves towards him.  Philip grabs her by the arm to hold her back.

"He's dangerous honey.  You heard what the kids said.  They think he's a traitor."

"I'm no traitor," says Jesse.  "That's what I keep trying to tell Mr. Parker.  I never sold them out, never.   I love Isabelle.  I've been trying to protect them."

"What about the papers Isabelle found in your office in Boston?" demands Philip.

"They were planted by Kivar.  I'll admit he had control over me for a time, but I fought it.  I've been fighting it for so long, trying to feed him as much misinformation as I possibly can.  But he figured it out the other night.  I don't know how, but he took great pleasure in beating me, and torturing me beyond belief."

"Well, you're looking pretty healthy now," says Philip, looking at Jesse's unmarked body in disbelief.

"Max healed him before they got him out," Geoff says.  "Michael told me, so he's telling the truth about that anyhow."

"Look, you need to believe me.  Kivar knows they are here, and he is hell bent on revenge.  That entire building is wired to explode.  He's planning a massive battle, and he wanted to ensure a win at all costs.  He decided to make sure he'd win no matter what.  If it turns out that Max and Isabelle are winning, he is going to blow up the building.  We have to get in there and warn them."

"I don't know what to believe anymore," says Geoff shaking his head.  "We need to decide this one together."

"I think we should believe him," says Diane.

"Me too," says Amy.  "I don't have anything to base it on other than intuition, but I think he's telling the truth."

"Philip, what about you?" asks Geoff.

"I don't know," he says, shaking his head.  "There are just so many variables to take into consideration."

"We need a decision Philip."

"I say let's trust him.  If he's telling the truth, then I'm going in there myself to help our kids, and I'm taking him with me.  If I find out that he's lying, I won't hesitate to use this," he says, pulling a gun out of the waistband of his pants."

"Nancy, what about you?"

"We have to trust him, we have no choice.  Geoff, we need to get in there and help them," her voice catches on a sob at the though of her daughter in danger.

"Well then, we agree," says Geoff, bending down to untie Jesse from the tree.  The last rope falls away, and Jesse shoves Geoff out of the way and takes off running towards the building.  "Isabelle!" he screams.  The others take off after him, running towards the building.  Jesse, with his head start gets there first and pulls the door open and runs into the lobby.  Isabelle, run, it's a trap," he shouts, throwing himself into the air between Isabelle and Kivar.    
  
Kivar stands poised, his arm upraised, ready to take fire at Isabelle.  He lets loose with a bolt of energy, which is blocked by Jesse's body passing between the two.  Jesse crashes to the ground as bolts of energy begin to fly from both sides.  The parents rush through the door and into the battle, with guns drawn.  They immediately deploy to the perimeter of the room and begin to fire at the Antarians.  Several bullets manage to find their mark before the Antarians realize what is happening.    
  
"Naloch, where are you?" roars Kivar.  "Take care of these useless humans."  Kivar spares a second from the battle to locate Naloch, but is unable to see him anywhere.  Suddenly, a figure appears on the balcony of the upper level.

"True Antarians, take heed, the true King is among us.  All hail King Zan!"  At his words, the lobby fills with more Antarians.  They rush to side with their king and begin to fight against Kivar's soldiers.  Naloch leaps down from the balcony to stand by his King.  "Your Majesty," he shouts over the sounds of the battle.   "Kivar's men can't be killed by energy blasts, they are able to absorb the energy and send it back to you.  You must touch them to kill destroy them!"

At Naloch's words, Max throws up a protective shield to block the energy bolts from Kivar's men. 

"We have to touch them," he shouts to the others.  We'll move up as one, and as soon as we are close enough, I'll lower the shield and grab them!"  Max raises his hand and puts up a shield, and the others form an offensive line and move forward.  As soon as they are in range, Max lowers the shield and they rush forward and begin to grab Kivar's men.  With the help of the loyal Antarians, they manage to destroy most of Kivar's followers.  Soon, all that is left is Kivar himself, and several of his men who are crying for Krecha.

Max shoots Naloch a questioning look and he explains that Krecha is the Antarian word for surrender.  Before Max can say anything, Kivar reaches into his pocket and pulls out a compact device.  "I still win Zan," he says with a sneer.  "Welcome to your final resting place.  He moves his hand to depress a button located at the center of the device.  Jim, acting instinctively, draws his gun and is poised to shoot Kivar when Jesse pulls himself up and launches himself at Kivar shouting, "It's a bomb, run Isabelle run.  Get out!"

Kivar blasts him again, and Jesse crumples to the ground.  Isabelle bends over his body, crying, when suddenly, Kivar falls forward.  Looking up, the others see Maria; standing behind him with the lead pipe Michael had given her raised over her head prepared to hit him again if necessary.  Naloch rushes forward, and puts his hand on Kivar's chest and Kivar's body dissolves into dust.


	58. chapter 58

Part 58 

"Jesse," Max shouts and runs over to the body of his brother-in-law.  He places his hand on Jesse's chest, and tries to heal him, but it's too late.  He looks up at his sister and shakes his head.  "I'm sorry Isabelle, there isn't anything I could do."  Isabelle kneels down before the body of her husband and places a kiss on his lips.

"I know that Max," she says as the tears streak silently down her face.  "He died saving me, saving us.  He wasn't a traitor at all."

"Indeed he was not," says Naloch, stepping forward.  "Jesse fought the power of Kivar's mind warp for a very long time, and he was quite successful.  He consistently fed Kivar misinformation that made capturing you all the more difficult.  He also misled Kivar regarding the strength of your powers.  He is a true hero, and his name will long be remembered in the annuls of Antarian history."

"Does somebody mind explaining what in the hell just happened here?" shouts Max.  "Who are you people and what is going on?"

"Your Majesty," says Naloch, bowing to Max.  If I may explain?"

"Uh yeah, please do," says Max sarcastically.  "And make it the long version please."

"We are a band of freedom fighters from Antar," begins Naloch.  "From the time Kivar's dictatorship began, there have been those who have worked tirelessly to depose him and restore the true ruler to the throne.  As you are by now aware, you were created by mixing your essence with human DNA.  We've been watching you as closely as possible since you emerged from your pods.  Our scientists have been working day and night to develop the technology to allow us to travel to Earth to protect you from Kivar and his forces.  However, we had no sooner mastered the technology when Kivar's people stole the information from us.  Fortunately, we have always had a large network of spies who had infiltrated Kivar's army.  When we found out he wanted to use the technology to come to Earth to destroy you, we knew we had no choice but to act."

"Well, why didn't you just tell us what was going on?" asks Liz

"Would you have trusted us?" Naloch asks dryly.

"Probably not," she admits

"And that is why we didn't contact you.  In fact, you made it remarkably hard to trace you.  All of you were very skillful in eluding Kivar's men."

"Look, all we want to know, is are our children safe?" Philip asks

"Yes, they are safe from Kivar's men."

"What about the FBI special unit?" asks Amy, stepping forward from where she had been comforting her daughter.

"There never was a special unit of the FBI, or rather, there hasn't been for a number of years.  Those people who captured Max were Kivar's men.  They had been sent here many years ago to track down the royal four and eliminate them.  However, they didn't count on all of you being quite so resourceful."

"So we're safe. We can have our lives back?" asks Max.  "We can come home to Roswell and just be ourselves again?"

"Well, we had rather assumed that you would want to come back to Antar and take your place as the rightful King,' answers Naloch.

"What!" shouts Philip.  "They can't leave, they belong here with us.  _We're_ their family."

"Be that as it may," said Naloch.  "King Zan has a destiny to follow, and a world to rule."

"Not that I'm saying I'm going, but how would I even be able to get there?  Do you have a ship nearby?"

"No Sire, we no longer need a ship to travel from Antar to Earth.  That is the technology our scientists have mastered a way for us to teleport, thus eliminating the need for travel by spacecraft.  It is not without risks, but not as risky as traveling by craft."

Max looks at the others and steps forward.  "I can't speak for the others, but I want to go."


	59. chapter 59

**Part 59**

Shouts erupt around Max as everyone becomes aware of what Max has said to Naloch.  Shouts from everybody except Liz that is.  Instead, she moves closer to Isabelle and slowly steps between the taller girl, and the crumpled body of her dead husband.  "Isabelle," she says softly.  "Come on Sweetie, there isn't anything you can do right now.  Why don't you come over here with me for a while," she says leading Isabelle away.  As she does, Diane Evans and Nancy Parker as well as two of the Antarians place a blanket over the body to hide it from view.  Across the room where Max and the others are standing, a loud outburst occurs.  Liz looks over see her husband trying to explain why returning to Antar would be a good thing.

"Look, I'm not talking about right now, and I'm not talking about forever, but I think we owe it to ourselves to see where we came from," Max says in a slightly belligerent tone of voice.

"Sure, great plan Max, and what about us?" shouts Kyle.  "We're not from there, but we sure as hell don't fit in around here anymore."

"Well, I, uh," Max stutters.

"Glad to see you thought about us," Kyle says darkly as he walks away from the others.

"He's right you know," says Michael.  "We can't go, actually, we don't have any reason to go.  Home is here."  He puts his arm around Maria's shoulder and places a gentle kiss on the top of her head.  "I had a chance to leave once before, and I didn't because everything I wanted was right here.  That hasn't changed."  Maria looks up at Michael and sees the love shining in his eyes.  "I love you too, Space Boy," she says.

"If I may offer a suggestion," Naloch says.  "You have made your lives here on Earth, and it is understandable that you would not wish to leave, but you should realize that our new technology makes travel to Antar almost instantaneous.  You could travel to our world in a very short time, and return back to Earth with no trouble.  This will allow you to learn about your home planet but still be able to return to Earth."

"And we could do this whenever?" asks Max.

"Yes, and your families would be welcomed as well.  Our atmosphere presents no danger to them."

"Michael," Maria says.  "If you could go, and come back at will, it may not be such a bad idea.  Especially if I could go with you."

"Indeed, all of you will be revered as the hero's that you are, and the people of our world would be honored indeed if you chose to visit our world."

"Well, when it's presented in that way, it makes a little sense," Philip admits.  "But Max, why?  Why were you so willing to go back before you knew if you could come back?  And more importantly, how could you make such a decision without talking to Liz?"

"It's simple," says Liz who had been observing the conversation ever since she had gotten Isabelle away from Jesse's body.  "Max is looking for something, for some sort of purpose to his life."

"What do you mean, some sort of purpose, he's married to you, he has a purpose!" shouts Geoff Parker.  "His purpose is to get a job and support his family!"

"Liz is right," Max says in a dull voice.  "I feel so lost now.  For so long, we lived to keep our secret a secret from everybody, then we were fighting to stay one step ahead of the special unit, and just survive.  Now it's all over.  What comes next?  I never really allowed myself to think I could have a future, and now it's staring me in the face.  I don't know what to do next."

A slightly mollified Geoff Parker places his hand on Max's shoulder.  "We'll Max, extraterrestrial aspects aside, you are now facing the same dilemma every youth in the world has had to face.  It's called the 'What do I want to be when I grow up syndrome.'  You don't have to make any decisions now, but I will give you one piece of advice.  You are married now, don't go making unilateral decision, discuss things with your wife, unless you want to find yourself sleeping on the sofa."

Everyone bursts into laughter as the tension breaks.  Maria grabs Liz by the arm and pulls her across the room.  "How did you know that's what Max was feeling?" she demands.

"Simple, he's my husband," responds Liz as she pulls away from Maria and walks back towards Max. Once she reaches him, she slips an arm around his waist and smiles up at him.

"Liz, you know me better than I know myself.  How do you do that?"

"It's like I told Maria, you're my husband."

"Sire, we need to return to Antar to share the news that Kivar is dead.  We will leave you with these communicators so that you can contact us when and if you wish to come to Antar."  He holds his hand out, and one of the other Antarians gives him a bag made of a shimmery metallic material. He reaches into the bag and removes a stone with the ORB symbol on it.

"We have those," said Max.  "But we never really figured out how to use them."

"I will instruct you on their use then.  They are not difficult to use, once you are aware of their capabilities."  For several minutes, Naloch proceeds to instruct the others on the use of the ORBS.  Once they are all certain they understand how to utilize the stones, he and the others prepare to leave.

"By your leave Majesty, what are you going to do with Jesse?"

"I'm not sure," admits Max.  "We can't leave him here.

"If I may make a suggestion then?" asks Naloch.  Max nods and Naloch continues.  "We can modify the memories of his co-workers in Boston, as well as those here in Roswell.

"Forgive me Naloch, but I can't see how mind warping all these people will help," says Michael.

"First we will modify the memories of the people in Roswell to forget what occurred during graduation.  We will make it so that people think Isabelle and Jesse simply moved to Boston so that Jesse could accept a better job offer, and that the rest of you went off to make your own way in the world.  We will also create the illusion that Princess Isabelle came home for a visit.  We'll place Jesse's body back in Boston and make it look as though he were the victim of random violence."

"Look Naloch, that sounds all well and good, but we haven't had the greatest experience with mind warping," says Max.

"King Zan, on Antar, there are special, gifted people who are trained in the art of memory modification.  They have taken an oath to never use these powers for evil, and in fact, can be punished by death if they do so.  It would be them who perform this memory modification, and it would be done in the most uninvasive way possible."

Max looks at the others, and they all nod.  He walks over to Isabelle and takes her hands in his.  "Isabelle, are you ok with this?  It seems like the best way possible to deal with everything."

"Yeah, I'm as ok with it as I'll ever be," she answers.  "My husband is dead, killed by evil aliens.  There really isn't any way to explain it, now is there?  Do what you have to.  At least this way, Jesse will be able to be brought back to Roswell for a decent burial."

Max hugs his sister tightly and then turns to Naloch.  "Do it Naloch."

"As you wish, Majesty.  When we return to Antar, I will have it done.  Now if I may make another suggestion, you and your family should go home and relax, and try and pretend as if nothing has happened."

"Thank you Naloch, and we will be in touch about coming to Antar," says Max.  "I do want to see your world, but right now, I have to find my place in my own world."

Naloch and the other Antarians bow to Max and the others, and in a beam light, all evidence that they had ever been on Earth disappeared.


	60. chapter 60

Part 60 

_Three months later:_

Liz walks to the post office, and thinks about everything that has happened in the three months since the battle, and Kivar's death.  Naloch had been right, and everything had worked according to his plan.  Jesse's 'death' and funeral had been hard for everyone, especially Isabelle.  Thankfully, Jesse had made arrangements for the financial security of both Isabelle and his mother.  Money would never take his place, but both of them wouldn't have to worry about money for a very long time.  Isabelle also received a letter in the mail several days after Jesse had died.  They figured he must have written it just before the battle.  It confirmed everything they knew.  Jesse had been fighting Kivar's mind warp for a very long time and in fact had done everything possible to mislead Kivar every step of the way.  It wasn't a lot, but it did give Isabelle some closure.

"Liz, come on, we're going to be late," Maria yells from up the street.  "Come on Chica, it's time."  Liz mentally shakes herself from her reverie and drops the postcard in to the mailbox and goes running back to Maria.  

"It's ok Maria, we have plenty of time.  I just need to get changed, and then we can head out."

An hour later, Geoff Parker proudly escorts his daughter down the aisle to the waiting arms of her groom.  To celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary, Liz and Max have chosen to renew their vows in a large celebration.  The minister reads the vows, and Max and Liz state their intentions to love one another forever.  Just at the minister is about to pronounce them husband and wife, Michael interrupts the ceremony.  "Wait, Maria, will you marry me?  Here, now!"

"What?" she cries

"I mean it, I want to marry you, right now.  Please say yes."

"Of course I'll say yes you idiot.  I love you!"

Michael steps away from Max's side and crosses the small aisle to where Maria is standing next to Liz and Isabelle.  He kneels down and takes her hand in his.  "Maria Deluca.  I love you more than anything else.  You already know you are my world, now I want you to be my life as well," he says as he slips a diamond ring on her hand.  "Sir," he says turning to the minister, I hope you don't mind performing one more ceremony today?"

"I'd be delighted," he says.  "Will there be any other takers?" he asks, looking at Isabelle and Kyle.

"Not right now," says Kyle from his place beside Max.

"But maybe someday," Isabelle says softly, smiling at Kyle. "Maybe someday."

The minister makes short work of the second ceremony and pronounces both couples husband and wife.  After the ceremony, the small group returns to the CrashDown to celebrate.  "Excuse me," Max says tapping on his glass to be heard over the small but loud group of people.  "Liz and I have something we'd like to say!"  Silence fills the room as everybody stops talking and turns towards Max.  "Well, first, we'd like to thank all of you for sharing this day with us, and for the wonderful party.  We also want to say congratulations to Michael and Maria.  The next 50 years or so promise to be very interesting.  And finally, we just wanted to share some wonderful news.  Liz and I will be welcoming our first child into the world in just under six months."  Shouts fill the room as everyone rushes up to hug and congratulate the happy couple.

"Liz, I can't believe it," squeals Maria.  "A baby! How wonderful.  But why didn't you say anything!"

"Well, we were a little bit busy running for our lives, and then fighting a war," Liz laughs.  "Besides, I wasn't sure myself at first, and then when I was, there was Jesse's funeral.  I just couldn't tell everybody then.  We needed to focus on Isabelle."

"Um, not trying to be negative, but will this kind of pregnancy progress normally?" asks Maria.

"Yes," said Liz with a happy grin on her face.  "Max contacted Naloch, who said that everything should proceed normally, but there is one small side effect.  You become totally in tune with your partners thought and feelings.  You can feel everything feels and everything he thinks if you open yourself up to it."

"You little rat," Maria says with a grin.  "That's how you knew what Max was feeling when he said he wanted to go back to Antar."

"Yeah, that's when I first started to suspect something was up."

"Excuse me ladies," said Max as he and Michael approach the two women.  "May we have this dance?"    
"Of course," said Liz as she steps into the arms of her husband.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," answers Maria as Michael leads her to the dance floor.

Sparkle from Ruby Horse begins to play:

Through the clouds   
A nice surprise   
To see that twinkle   
Return to your eyes   
I searched my head   
For some old spark   
Been around this place   
Stumbling in the dark   
And when I feel the skies will never clear   
You remind me that spring is near   
  
How you sparkle   
How you shine   
How you rise above   
The darkest skies   
  
Through the crowd   
I catch your eye   
It takes me back again   
When we were gettin' high   
I search my head   
For some old spark   
Been around this place   
Fumbling in the dark   
And when I feel the skies will never clear   
You remind me that spring is near   
  
How you sparkle   
How you shine   
How you rise above   
The darkest skies   
  
Nothin' in this world   
Could make me love you less   
Shadows often leave perfection   
In the best   
Oh my love, oh my love   
Oh my love, oh my love   
  
How you sparkle   
How you shine   
How you rise above   
The darkest skies   
  
How you sparkle   
How you shine   
How you rise above   
The darkness

Several days' later, in southern California, and old man walks slowly to his mailbox.  Opening it, he reaches inside and finds a postcard from Roswell New Mexico addressed to Zeke and Nellie Mosley.

Dear Zeke and Nellie,

  
Thanks for all your help, we just wanted to let you know we made it home and everything is great.  We couldn't have done it without you.

Love

Jenny, Steve, Barbie, Bobby, Frankie and Kerri.


	61. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

And so, Quietly into the Night has ended.  I can hardly believe it's finished.  First, I would really like to thank everybody who read this story and left all those wonderful reviews.  

It's funny, after watching Graduation and crying and crying, I realized, I couldn't get Michael's speech out of my head.  It just really stuck with me, and from there, I heard Liz's voice saying "And so we left," and it just grew from there.  I wish I could say that I knew exactly where this story was going from beginning to end, but to be honest; I never have a clue when I write.  A lot of the things that happened in this story were a complete shock to me when I wrote them.  The whole Jesse thing especially freaked me out.  

As far as a sequel, I hope so; I think so, but no promises.  I do have some other stories that have been neglected these past few months because Quietly wasn't very quiet in my head.  It just screamed to be written!

So again, thanks for all the awesome feedback, I hope you all enjoyed the story half as much as I enjoyed all the feedback J.

Tracie


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